The Guardian Chronicles
by Ragnos The King
Summary: Disclaimer: This story combines elements from Star Wars: The Old Republic, Halo, the Star Wars Legends EU, and various other fandoms. Series of short stories set in the time of the Old Republic. Rated M for language, sexual content, dark themes, and violence.
1. Prologue

My breath came hard and fast; my heart racing as I moved through the forest. Artillery and blaster fire filled the air and explosions rocked the earth sending dirt and smoke into the air. I could hear the screams of confused and scared men both in the air and over the comlinks. Some were requesting backup or demanding a medic. Yet, despite all the chaos around me, I felt strangely calm. I was born for this; raised for it.

Smoke and fire filled the air alongside blaster fire creating a deadly nightmarish lightshow. I moved through the smoke like a shadow, a deadly wraith in the burning forest. But the smoke was a double-edged sword. It reduced visibility down to mere feet allowing me to move freely but I couldn't see an enemy until I was right on top of them.

I slammed up against a massive tree as a Republic walker rumbled by, its cannon belching deadly light into the forest. More fire and smoke consumed the woods as the screams of dying men signified the lasers had found their targets.

I gripped my blaster tighter as I thought about how this whole battle had gone from bad to worse to a total cluster. As soon as the battle began, the Republic had managed to route the Imperial Forces. The Empire had managed to surprise the Republic in a mountain valley, boxing them in by destroying their front and rear walkers, but they hadn't accounted for the small contingency of Guardian Knights the Republic had. They had moved the damaged walkers quickly allowing the Republic soldiers to mobilize. Also the walkers had traveled up the sides of the canyon and quickly gained an advantage.

I took off again as the walker left. I jumped over a fallen tree avoiding the burning branches by the smallest margin. I slide in beside some Imperial soldiers who were taking over behind a fallen old-growth tree. Their standard black and grey armor with red livery was battle-scarred and covered in ash. They took turns exchanging fire with the Republic troops on the other side of the mountain valley, their white and orange armor sticking out amongst the greenery. I steadied my blaster rifle against the tree's blaster-ridden truck and picked out a trooper at random. I breathed slowly and gave the trigger a smooth squeeze. I heard the satisfying _thoomp_ and felt the steady kick of my rifle as it sent a tight red beam of death at a Republic solider seeking cover beside a rock. He jumped out to return fire and catches the bolt in the dead center of his chest. It burned through his armor and dropped him dead.

I slowly rotated my aim to the left and picked off another solider. I kept firing, slowly picking off enemy troops, despite my position being heavily attacked by blaster and artillery fire. I trusted my armor to absorb and deflect the majority of the attacks. I grunted as one particularly powerful bolt hit me in the shoulder, dangerously close to my neck seal where my armor is weaker. I spotted the sniper who had taken the shot and returned fire. The coward ducked and ran from his position. An Imperial soldier next to me shot the sniper as he ran, dropping him.

"This is Bravo Company! We need immediate back-up! Our position is being overrun! I repeat Bravo Company is being overrun!" a voice screamed into the com network.

"Hold this position trooper," I ordered to the men crouched next to me. "Provide some cover fire as I head for Bravo Company."

"Understood sir," a corporal replied. He and his squad mates tossed some grenades and laid down a steady stream of fire as I surged forward and down the embankment to the fighting that was happening to the east. There Republic AT-TEs, large armored tanks that looked like six-legged beetles with cannons on their backs, were overrunning a small group of Imperial forces, their entrenched AA guns smoking and reduced to rubble. I dove into the makeshift trenches and found the nearest group of soldiers.

"Where is your commanding officer?" I snapped at the nearest soldier. His FOF tag labeled him as Sergeant Collins.

"Dead, sir," the sergeant gulped. "Taken out when the tanks fired on our position."

"Who is in command then?" I growled.

"No one. We are in disarray sir," the sergeant replied. He was clearly shaken and his resolve broke. So much for Imperial discipline.

"I'm taking command," I stated. I linked into the comm network and barked, "Bravo Company, fall back to position Alpha-Twenty-Seven. This ridge is lost! Regroup and connect up with Charlie Company! I repeat fall back to Alpha-Twenty-Seven and regroup with Charlie Company!"

As a semi-coherent unit, the remainder of Bravo Company slowly made its way up the ridge side past the destroyed artillery. The Republic AT-TEs continued to fire away at us, but slowly decreased as we fled. The Republic established themselves on the ridge and began to fire away from at a different position.

"Command, this is Mandalorian Lieutenant Jäeger. Bravo Company has lost the Eastern Ridge. They were overrun by AT-TEs. I have them regrouping with Charlie Company before I return to Third Battalion," I yelled into my comlink.

"Understood Lieutenant. This battle is lost; the tide has turned against us. Try and pull as many men out as you can. We have established a rendezvous point north of your position. Shuttles are awaiting troops," Commands replied.

"Understood. Lieutenant Jäeger out." I closed the channel and left Sergeant Collins to get the remainder of Bravo Company to rendezvous point. I took off, sprinting as fast as I could to return to Third Battalion to help them. I reached down deep into my reserves, my body tiring from the drawn out fighting. I breathed deep, feeling revitalizing energy flooding my body.

I slid down the hill to where Third Battalion was fighting off a large score of Republic forces. AT-TEs, AT-AP walkers, and AT-RTs were heavily intermingled amongst the Republic forces. They were beginning to overwhelm the Imperial forces as I reached the bottom of the hillside. I spotted a nearby soldier's corpse, a rocket launcher lying next to him. I grabbed it as I ran by and checked the ammo count. My proximity alarm started going off and my world turned upside down as a rocket exploded behind me. I controlled my spin and slid down the hill, lining up a shot at the nearest AT-AP. It exploded in a large fireball killing several nearby troopers. I quickly reloaded the rocket launcher and fired upon another attack pod walker.

I fired a third time before the missile magazine emptied. Tossing it aside, I ran forward. My foot caught the edge of a rock and I used it to propel myself into the air. I sailed through the air, feeling weightless before landing on an AT-TE. The gunner froze in surprise and I punched him in the head. Shoving his body out of the gunner seat, I took command of the cannon and turned it on the Republic troops. I destroyed the nearest tanks and unloaded on the ground forces.

My sensors picked up soldiers climbing up the back of the tank forcing me to abandon the cannon. I gripped my blaster pistol and fired down the back of the tank forcing the Republic troopers to stay low and prevented them from returning fire. I slapped two thermal detonators against the cannon and dived over the side of the tank. The cannon exploded and I charged towards an AT-TP. The gunner fired on me forcing me to take cover in a blast crater.

"Give up Mandalorian!" a voice rang out. "You cannot hope to win. Surrender peacefully and I guarantee you as a Guardian Knight that you will be shown mercy."

"Sorry Guardian," I replied. "Mandalorians don't know the word 'surrender'!" I jumped up and emptied a clip into the Guardian. He was young, still in his early twenties, with short black hair and a boyish face. He easily deflected my fire with his ice-blue lightsaber. He gripped me through the Force and threw me against a tree. I grunted as I dropped my rifle and slumped to the ground. The Guardian came over and held his blade mere inches from my throat.

"Surrender. This doesn't have to end in more bloodshed," the Knight pleaded.

"Stand down fool," I growled. "I am Guardian Knight Jäeger. I am under orders to infiltrate the Empire. Killing me or taking me in will only jeopardize my mission."

"You cannot lie your way out of this Mandalorian. I know all the other Guardian Knights. There is no one called Jäeger," the Knight argued.

 _Damn, thought that would work._ I growled and slapped his blade aside with my armored forearm. It burned the black and green paint off my armor. It was made of _beskar_ , a rare ore native to Mandalore that was nearly indestructible. Prolonged exposure to the Guardian's blade however would cut through my armor. I kicked him in the gut causing him to fall backwards and collapse. I jumped on top of him, pinning his sword arm with my knee. I slammed my fist into his soft face breaking his nose.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay down," I growled. Instead he managed to get his legs underneath me and kick me off him. I rolled to my feet and yanked out a nasty nine-inch knife from its sheath on my thigh. I swung at the Knight getting inside his guard. He staggered back and Force-Pushed me away. He swung at me and I blocked the strike with my armor again. I punched him in the gut and then kicked his feet out from under him. Slamming into the ground, I pinned him again and held my knife at his throat.

"Now stay down and let me leave. Speak to no one about what I told you. My mission must remain a total secret," I growled so only he could hear.

"Your lie won't save you. The Masters would never employ a mercenary," the knight breathed. I sighed realizing it was futile. I sheathed my blade and pulled back my arm to knock the boy out. Suddenly blaster fire struck me in the chest forcing me off the young Knight. I rolled and grabbed my discarded rifle. I fired at the troops who had come to back up their leader. They forced me behind a tree and surrounded me.

 _This might be the end of it_ I thought, bracing for the end. An unsung hero gunned down by his fellow soldiers.

"Incoming!"

I heard a faint whistling followed by the roar of fighter engines. I glanced up to see squadrons of B-28 _Extinction_ -class bombers and Mark VI _Supremacy_ -class Starfighters. They bombed the hell out of the Republic troops and strafed the tanks. One landed danger-close and I went flying for the third time that day. I landed with a grunt, my body hurting. I struggled to get up, the air filling with even more smoke and fire. I crawled forward trying to escape the battlefield. I didn't get far before something wet and heavy fell on top of me. I grunted and felt one of my ribs snap. I barely managed to shrug off the body, my breathing now heavily labored.

It was the young Guardian Knight.

 _Poor bastard. He didn't deserve this._

"Halt!"

I turned to see a soldier standing over me.

"I won't surrender," I groaned.

"Don't make me fire on an unarmed combatant," the soldier pleaded.

"A Mandalorian is never unarmed," I sneered. I reached towards the fallen Guardian's saber, the hilt a full meter away from me.

"Please stand down," the soldier pleaded.

I focused harder on the lightsaber hilt and saw it twitched. I felt it in my hand. It jumped forward and into my hand. I ignited the blade and pushed myself off the ground. I sliced though the trooper's barrel and shouldered him to the ground.

"Stay down," I breathed, clutching my chest. The soldier didn't move, so I stumbled down the hill, the Guardian's blue blade illuminating the smoke and casting weird shadows about as the sun began to set on the battlefield. I slowly and wearily made my way back to Imperial territory. I was disappointed to see that heavy fighting was still occurring.

"Sir, the Republic is breaking though our lines and we still have men on the ground!" a soldier yelled as I passed.

"Get me the members of Black Squad," I ordered. "We will hold off the enemy troops as best we can."

"Sir, yes, sir!" the trooper saluted and ran off. I stumble to the front lines and retrieved another blaster rifle. I fired as best I could at the enemy. I focused on the pain and used it to fuel my power. I felt my senses clarify as the pain faded. I fired short controlled bursts as the Republic forces established a foothold. The Republic were prevented from further advancing as five warriors came up beside me and laid down some heat. These were the members of Black Squad, one of the most feared Special Forces squads in the Imperial Army. The squad consisted of Captain Precht, the leader; Lieutenant Chezov, the demolition expert; Sergeant T'Walik, the sniper; Sergeant Chal'wik, the heavy gunner; and Sergeant Dolan, the rifleman.

The five soldiers held off the Republic forces while the remaining Imperial forces clambered into troop transports and retreated to the Imperial fleet hanging in low orbit. I ducked down as a missile impacted nearby throwing dirt and fire into the air. Chezov shouldered a XM510 Grenade Launcher and fired a series of rounds at the Republic troopers.

"Sir, those tanks are going to tear us to pieces!" T'Walik cried. Several AT-TEs opened fire upon the transports and us. One ship exploded as it took off and collided with another. The two crashed back down into the ground and exploded sending shrapnel in all directions.

"Damn," I growled. "We just a little more time." I reached down towards the lightsaber on my hip. "Cover me."

"Where are you going?" Precht asked. I vaulted over the barricade and charged the Republic forces. I focused myself on the task at hand, burying myself in a sense of calm. I felt the Force surge through me as I ignited the stolen lightsaber. I let the Force guide my motions as I deflected dozens of blaster bolts, returning them to their senders. I jumped impossibly high and landed on the nearest tank. I slashed through the barrel before leaping to the next one. I disabled its cannon as well before rolling to the ground. I ran at the legs of the next tank in line and slashed at the joints. They groaned before breaking. The tank crashed into the ground, worthless. I threw out my hands, fingers splayed, and Force-Pushed the tanks into others, preventing them and foot soldiers from moving forward.

I returned to the Imperial forces and ordered Black Squad to retreat as the last transport took off. Running backwards, the Special Forces troopers fired at the Republic troops as they headed towards their own personal ship. The captain reached it first and opened the rear access. Chal'wik climbed inside and fired up the engines. The others covered the entrance as I headed towards them.

"Lieutenant look out!"

My proximity alarm screamed as the world exploded around me.

* * *

I groaned as I returned to consciousness. I immediately knew something was wrong because I was no longer in my _beskar'gam_. I forced myself up and took in my surroundings. The bed I was in was a more of a recliner made of soft black velvet. The room was large and well furnished. Large red tapestries made of silk hung from the walls made of etched black metal. Braziers burned in the corners casting flickering shadows on the walls. An open balcony looked out over a bustling city. A massive thunderstorm raged outside, lightning cracking the sky every now and then.

"You're awake."

I glanced over my shoulder to see a red-skinned Twi'lek with a slave collar around her neck. She wore a black short crop sweater and matching skirt that extended past her knees but was slit up the sides. Like most of the females of her species, she was lithe and seductive.

"I shall inform my master," the Twi'lek stated. She got up in a fluid movement and left through a tall wooden double door. I groaned as I sat up right and ran my fingers through my short hair. The last thing I remembered was being on Alderaan fighting the Republic. Now I was on Dromund Kass, capital world of the Empire. I got up and searched the room. It was only a guest chamber but it was decorated with rare artifacts. I found my armor nestled in a corner. I quickly picked up the backplate and inspected it. It was scorched and scuffed from the explosion but the damage was surficial. I must have been pretty badly rattled around in my armor for me to have remained unconscious long enough for them to transport me from the Core to the Imperial Outer Rim.

I collected my armor and slowly worked my way into my body suit. My entire body felt like a massive bruise; they must have fixed my rib because my breathing didn't hurt too much. I managed to alleviate some of pain by using some centering techniques my father had taught me. I slowly strapped on my boots, greaves, and thigh plates before moving the rest of my armor to the bed. The doors opened again as I slid my chest and back plates into position.

"I see you have recovered," a rumbling voice that seemed to have ethereal undertones to it that grated on my ears stated. I turned to see a Sith male with long facial tendrils and black scrolling facial tattoos. He wore flowing black robes with the hints of armor under it. A hooded cloak cast shadows over his face and his angry yellow and red rimmed eyes peered out from under them.

"I guess I have you to thank for that?" I asked. I quickly focused on shutting down my Force Presence so that this Sith Lord wouldn't detect just how strong I was.

"Indeed. I couldn't afford to lose such a lovely prospect," the Sith mused.

"Prospect?"

"I received several reports of you using Force skills and a lightsaber with sufficient skill. I've never heard of a Mandalorian who could use the Force," the Sith smirked.

"We don't." I tightened up my chest armor and made sure it was snug; my ribs didn't thank me. I started putting on my left arm vambrace and bicep cover.

"From my reports, you seem unrefined, as if you are acting instinctually. I am offering to train you; teach you how to use that innate power." The Sith stalked towards me like a predator. "You will find no better teacher. Those _Guardians_ would never take someone like you." He spat out the word 'Guardian' like it was poison.

"I don't care for your sorcery, Sith. Mandalorians don't care for the Force. We have done without just fine." I strapped on the armor for my right arm.

"You are squandering such potential!"

I picked up my helmet and secured it with a twist. The seal hissed as my armor pressurized and sealed.

"How did the Battle of Alderaan end?"

"The Republic fought us to a stalemate. The Dark Council has called for peace negotiations. We do not have the resources to continue this war of attrition," the Sith explained with a dismissive wave. "But there are rumors of something else, some surprise attack."

"If the war is coming to an end, my services are no longer necessary. I am going home." I brushed past the Sith Lord and headed for the exit. I didn't get far before he slammed me into the wall and held me there with the Force.

"You do not have my permission to leave."

"My contract is over," I growled.

"You are wasting a golden opportunity."

"I don't care."

"Fine then." The Sith Lord released me. I fell into a crouch as the Sith tossed me a lightsaber hilt. "If you defeat me then you can leave. Otherwise you _will_ become my apprentice."

I grabbed the lightsaber and ignited the ice-blue blade. I smirked when I realized it was the same lightsaber I took from the fallen Guardian Knight. I gave it a few twirls to test out the grip before suddenly charging the Sith Lord. He quickly brought out his lightsaber from within his robes, ignited the blood-red blade, and blocked my strike. I slammed my fist into his gut forcing him back. I spun on my heel and slammed my boot into the side of his head. He staggered back and I pressed my advantage. I hammered away at him with my lightsaber unleashing savage heavy overhanded blows that continued to stagger him and destroy any form of defense.

The Sith Lord unleashed a powerful blast with the Force that knocked me back. He twirled his blade creating an intricate pattern of light that was nearly impenetrable. I struck out with my blade and it collided with the Sith Lord's in a spray of sparks. He snarled and tried to put his weight behind his blade. I shoveled back and then slugged him in the head again. He staggered back and I kicked him flat in the chest. The Sith Lord collided with the bed and fell back. With a flick of my wrist I sent his lightsaber flying.

I held my blade at his throat and said, "I am leaving."

"Damn you Mandalorian. I will not forgive this indignation."

I sneered and flicked off my lightsaber. I clipped it on my belt and left. As I reached the door the Sith gave a mighty roar and unleashed a blast of Force Lightning. I whipped around, ignited my blade, and absorbed the attack. The Sith redoubled his efforts as I slowly advanced on him. He roared, lightning enveloping the room, as I finally deflected the lightning wide and then slammed my fist into the Sith's face, breaking his nose and knocking him back. Tossing the blade aside, I pummeled the Sith's face and chest turning him into a bloody mess.

"Never assume you can defeat a Mandalorian just because you have a special power. We are born and raised as warriors. We fear no one, especially not you Sith. My contract is over. I am going home."

I whipped the blood off my gauntlets with a piece of cloth and left.


	2. Prologue Pt 2

"Report Knight Jäeger."

I rose and stood before the Guardian Council. Twelve Masters of varying race, gender, and age, they ruled over the Guardian Order ensuring peace was kept during peacetimes and lead their warriors into battle during times of war. I had forgone my usual Mandalorian armor in favor of the Guardian Standard, brown robes with light armor consisting of bracers and greaves and a chestplate.

The Guardian Order had originated on the planet Tython deep in the Inner Core millennia ago. It had started off as a religious organization studying the mythical power known as The Force and acting as a peacekeeping force known as the Je'daii. Once expansion out of the Core began and the Republic was formed, the Je'daii were integrated into the military chain of command and became the Guardian Order. Focusing more on the military aspect of their training, the Guardian Order creates highly-trained Special Forces warriors trained in the use of the Force. They are a force to be reckoned with when they go to war, leading entire battalions into battle. During peacetime, the Guardian Order focuses more on their more peaceful origins and preform peacekeeping tasks, such as relief efforts and research projects.

Many considered them to be an enigma given their duality.

"I did as I was ordered; under the guise of a Mandalorian Mercenary working for the Empire, I gained the rank of Lieutenant and became a trusted advisor to the Imperial Command. I rerouted Imperial forces, gave warning of attacks, and undermined battle plans to the best of my ability while remaining under the radar. I did what I could to reduce Republic casualties while not making it look so," I explained.

"And your efforts showed," Grand Master Zallow stated. "Many more man could have been lost in innumerable battles if not for your efforts."

"Since the war with the Empire is over and we are currently undergoing peace negotiations, it would seem your services as a mercenary are no longer needed," Master Chratis growled.

"We expect a full mission report by the end of next week," Master Elveric stated.

"If you wish to stay on and continue your studies you may do so," Master Zallow stated. "You are free to go; the decision is yours."

"There is one last thing before I leave. The Sith Lord who oversaw my recovery after the Battle of Alderaan said something about a surprise attack. He hinted at nothing about a location or a time but I have a feeling it is soon," I stated.

"Thank you for the warning. We will do what we can to look into it further." Zallow lowered his head in dismissal and I bowed before walking out of the Council Chambers. Outside two of the Guardian Order's most prized pupils awaited me; Guardian Knights Mitch Blair and Circe Vixil. They were complete opposites in manner of appearance but very similar in personality. Blair was tall where Circe was short. He had dirty blonde hair with two streaks of blue while she had long black hair with red highlights. His eyes were green while hers were blue. He was from Corellia and she was from Dantooine. Both were athletically toned and wore the Guardian Standard.

Mitch studied under Master Brom Mirell and was helping develop something called the Guardian Armor, a suit based off of the _beskar'gam._ Circe studied under Master Oromis Elveric and was one of the stronger apprentices in generations. Both were strong in the Force, proud, quick to pick fights, dangerously intelligent, and in love with each other to the point it annoyed others.

Both were steadfast friends of mine.

"So the masters give you any crap?" Mitch asked as he pushed off from the wall, arms crossed.

"Nothing more than usual. Chratis still hates me for being Mandalorian but nothing else is new," I stated offhandedly.

"Do you think the war is finally over?" Circe asked. "I'm so tired of the fighting."

"I'm not sure. This galaxy has been founded on war, conflict, and violence. The Sith and Guardians, the Empire and the Republic are too similar in their ideology, they will never find peace," I stated.

"Dude, too early in the morning for thoughts that heavy," Mitch groaned. "Well, Brom wanted me to run some tests for the Armor so I need to go." He took off, Circe following close behind.

I headed down the halls of the Temple thinking things over. It has been almost a week since the events of Alderaan. Peace Negotiations were in the works on Alderaan and things looks up for once. But as a Mandalorian I didn't look forward to the peacetime. Peacetime meant stagnation and listlessness. My people were warriors, always on the lookout for the next battle. I sighed; maybe this peacetime would be different. I had grown weary of the fighting. The galaxy had been at war longer than I had been alive. Maybe it was time to head home and work on the homestead.

I found myself on a balcony overlooking a training ground on one of the Temple rooftops. Three dozen recruits were going through the motions of swordsplay under the instruction of the Temple's Blademaster. It made me think back to the days when I trained under my father. I frowned. It wasn't like me to reminisce. I didn't focus on the past. I shook my head and left the for the Temple's ship bay. There my personal frigate, the _Valiant_ , a custom model twenty meters in length based off the CR-12 corvette fitted with reinforced armor, several heavy armaments, and a top-of-the-line hyperdrive, sat. I had refitted the ship out so that I could fit a small Starfighter inside, a _Liberator_ -class Talon Fighter. It too had been outfitted with heavier armor than normal and had some heavier guns on it.

I slipped inside and removed my armor. Dressed in my bodysuit, I sat in an open space in my ship designed for relaxation. I opened a cooler and pulled out a bottle of _tihaar_ , removed the stopper, and took a sig. It burned on the way down but it felt good. I was weary from the constant travelling I had been doing and I wasn't fully recovered from all the fighting. An incessant blinking from the computer console drew my attention. Groaning, I got up and checked the message.

 _Son,_

 _This bounty came across my desk the other day and I thought of you. I know you are busy with your duties with the Guardian Order, but I feel like it's right up your alley. Let me know if you want it._

 _Hope to see you back on the homestead soon_

 _-Mother_

I checked the attached bounty. Some Black Sun gang members were causing trouble on Delsoria, disrupting the tourism, and the representative council wanted outsider support to back up the local police. It looked like it would be a quick little job. I sent a quick message to Mother saying I would take the job and probably be home within the month. I sent another message to the members of the Delsoria Representative Council stating I would be taking the job.

Downing the last of my drink, I cleared with ground control for liftoff. Powering up my ship, I gently guided it out of the hanger bay and into Coruscanti airspace. I navigated the controlled chaos that was traffic and climbed into the peaceful, eternal blackness that was space. Entering the coordinates for Delsoria, I turned on auto-pilot and retired for the night.

* * *

I adjusted the alignment on my scope, compensating for the stiff wind coming off the ocean, and zoomed in on the warehouse the Black Sun members were hiding. A SRS-99 AM, the rifle was a personal favorite for its range, power, and stability. I flicked through the spectrums and tagged several targets for the police. The swat unit consisted of a Mon Calamari chief, and a dozen human, all covered in heavy body armor.

"Move in on my mark," Chief Almik stated in the warbled tones common to his race. I slid an armor-piercing round into the chamber and switched my scope back to the infrared spectrum. Seven Black Sun thugs lit up my reticle just before the swat team pushed open the door and tossed several grenades inside. Flashbangs and concussion grenades detonated and the swat team moved in. Moving quickly, efficiently, and methodically, the swat team took down the Black Sun members without much fuss.

"Enemy targets neutralized," one of the swat stated.

"Sniper standing down." I switched off my scope, collapsed the bipod, slung the SRS over my shoulder where magnetic clips held the rifle to my back. I climbed down, and found the chief. He was overseeing the transfer of the Black Sun members to a police transport. The police hadn't actually killed the thugs, just used high-powered stun rifle.

"Doesn't seem like I was really needed," I stated.

"I disagree. It was your plan that helped us take out that scum without any casualties. You also helped locate these bastards to begin with," Chief Almik said. "Now I'm sure you'd like to talk money. Is the five hundred credits offered in the mission request enough?"

"It will do."

"I'll have it wired to your account later today."

I nodded and then gave a dismissal wave. I headed to the nearest bar and ordered a drink. I removed my helmet and was about to bring it up to my lips when a new story on the HoloNet caught my attention.

"Breaking News: The Sith Empire has invaded Coruscant."

The drink fell from my hand as my world shrunk down to me and the Holoscreen.

"The Senate building, Guardian Temple, and various military bases along with a large amount of Coruscant's skyscrape has been destroyed. An Imperial blockade has been set up around the Republic capital. We do not have casualty reports as of right now but it has been reported that Supreme Chancellor Berooken has been killed by the Sith Invaders."

I got to my feet, slammed on my helmet, and made for my frigate. Not waiting for clearance from ground control, I slammed my engines into overdrive and pushed _Valiant_ to its limits as I exited the atmosphere. Engaging the hyperdrive, I headed straight for a backwater planet know as Earth. It was a military stronghold on the edge of the Unknown Regions, due west of Coruscant. It had been declared as a fallback position should the Guardian Temple fall on Coruscant.

While not a full-time member of the Order, I did have friends in the Order that I cared about. I needed to find out if they were still alive. My sense of duty demanded that I go to the safe house on Earth. The Order would be in disarray and need every able-bodied warrior at their disposal. Redlining the engine, I got on the Hydian Way hyperlane and headed for the Core.

I sighed as I finally realized it was pointless. I was way out in the Outer Rim, the Corporate Sector, and Earth was in the Midrim section of the Unknown Regions. It would take me days to get out there even with my point-five hyperdrive. I would pass Mandalore before I even got close to Coruscant.

Slowing my engines down so I didn't blow them, I set the autopilot to take me home to Mandalore. Getting up, I headed over to the comm unit and plug in a few encryption codes and locked onto the encrypted Guardian Frequency. I then keyed into a private frequency Mitch, Circe, and I had set back when we had been on a black ops mission on Nar Shaddaa.

Mando: You guys still alive?

I didn't expect an immediate response so I was surprised when Knight Blair responded within seconds.

Knight: Jäeger, that you?

Mando: Yeah. You and Crimson still alive?

Knight: You can't get rid of us that easily. The Temple was completely destroyed and we lost a lot of Knights. We're regrouping on Earth. You coming?

Mando: Soon. I'm coming all the way from the Outer Rim.

Knight: Be careful. Master Chratis survived and he is livid about the whole thing.

Mando: Understood.

I closed down the connection and finally tried to relax.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Chratis snarled. He had pepper-grey hair in a harsh military crew cut. Several scars marred his face and one in particular cut across his left eye and left him blind in that eye. The other was an ice-cold blue. His right arm was in a sling and his left leg was trailing behind him. His armor was scuffed and but left vambrace looked brand new, like he had to replace it after the attack.

"We don't need scum like you here!" Chratis snarled, the venom and hatred heavy on his voice. "You barely hinted at the possibility of a surprise attack and then leave at the nearest convenience. Once a mercenary, always a mercenary. No amount of Force-training is going to change that."

"Master Zallow gave me permission to leave _di'kutla jetii_ ," I snarled. "That Sith barely told me about the attack. How was I supposed to know the time or location? How was supposed to know that they would strike during the peace talks?" I got right up in Chratis' face. "How was I supposed to know that the treacherous bastards would have gone and attack us just as we thought it was all over."

"You could have stayed! Half of the Guardian Order knows just how powerful you are with the Force. You could have helped turn the tide of the battle! You could have helped save Master Zallow!" Chratis shoved me away and looked like he wanted to go for but the arrival of Master Mirell and Knight Blair stopped him.

"What's going on here?" Brom asked in his gravelly voice. The wind teased at his short grey ponytail. His green eyes twinkled with a mischievous light despite his old age. Mitch was behind him, clunking with every step. He wore a highly articulated, mechanized armor that covered his entire body with thick metal plating. Though I had never seen the schematics for the Armor, Mitch had hinted enough at its capabilities for me to know that a wide-slew of weapon systems were hidden under that thick armor. It was painted blue with black highlights and the two eye slits glowed with a pale blue light. The soft whine of servos could be heard as he moved.

 _That must be the armor he was working on with Master Mirell before the attack on Coruscant_ I thought. Closer inspection revealed it was battle scarred and the chest plate was dented.

"Nothing." Chratis stormed off towards the main administrative building. Brom glanced towards me with a cocked eyebrow.

" _Di'kut_ thought I was somehow responsible for the attack on the Coruscant Temple," I growled.

"He's just mad. He and Zallow were old friends and his death has hit Chratis hard. You just happen to make a good outlet for his anger," Brom explained.

"I know. I'm used to having people yelling at me for _osik_ I was never responsible for. Hazard of being different," I sighed. I glanced at Mitch and looked over his armor. "Nice. What's the base metal?"

"Titanium-durasteel alloy. Not as durable as your _beskar'gam_ , but it gets the job done," Knight Blair stated, his voice slightly mechanical form the helmet speakers. He reached up and removed his helmet with a hiss. "Gah, add to the list air-conditioning. It is ungodly stuffy in this thing."

"Nah, it's just August in the Midwest. Get used to the heat," I smirked.

"That's right. Your father was born and raised here before he joined the Order. You must have spent quite a bit of time here," Mitch stated.

"Only slightly." I glanced out over the airfield. Guardian Knights and recruits were scurrying around moving supplies, equipment, and vehicles. "So what happened?"

"It was an ambush. The Sith got through our air defenses by using a captured shuttle. They reinforced it and slammed it right through the main entrance of the Temple," Mitch explained. "Sith and Skrall warriors poured out of the shuttle and began to slaughter the Guardian in the Temple entrance. Master Zallow led the charge against the enemy while ordering us younger warriors to save the recruits. I want to stay and fight with Master Mirell, but he had me take the armor and run. Circe fought with her Master on the frontlines but they soon fell back as we were defeated horrible. Capital ships bombed the city from above while ground forces took the Senate. Many senators and the Supreme Chancellor were killed in addition to several military leaders."

"How is Circe doing?" I inquired.

"She got pretty beat up in the fighting. Some Mandalorian was involved in the attack. Circe had the unfortunate luck of fighting her. I ended up pulling her out of it," Mitch explained. He looked down and flexed his armored hand. "While still rough around the edges, this armor is powerful. It took blaster bolts and lightsaber strikes in stride and asked for more."

I smirked. Mitch and Brom had been working on that armor for years. It was Mitch's baby. To hear that it had handled so well in battle was good to hear.

"Hey, we should go see Circe," Mitch said suddenly. "She'd be happy to see your scraggly mug." I frowned as Mitch poked fun of the scruff on my face. It was only a slight beard but I liked it. Taking off, Mitch headed to the Medical Bay. Falling in behind him, we fell into step within three paces.

The Guardian Order's base had formally been known as Fort McCoy, an army base stationed in West-Central Wisconsin. The base had been repurposed in local year 2525 when the Sith Empire had returned and began waging war on the Republic. The Guardian Order had wanted a stronghold that kept them close to the Galactic Capital but far enough away to prevent the enemy from coming after them. Earth itself was a bastion of military power providing a fifth of the Republic's military strength. The Aries Shipyards, a series of rings around the planet similar to Kalis Ship Yards, produced the Halcyon-class dreadnaughts and Valiant-class heavy cruisers.

The fort comprised of several old brick buildings that had stood the tests of time. A series of large hangers currently housed supplies and transports. People were coming and going out of the administration building while the Medical Bay was a frantic madhouse as nurses and doctors were still running around tending the sick and wounded. The heavy sense of fear, dread, pain, and suffering grated on anyone with an inkling of Force-Sensitivity. While used to this sensation, having been on battlefields since the age of thirteen, I still shut down my connection to the Force to make it easier to focus.

Circe was secluded back in a corner of the Medical Bay were the more stable and lower-priority patients were housed. Her right leg was held up by a sling hung from the ceiling and covered by a thick white cast. Her head was wrapped in linen bandages that messed with her hair causing odd tuffs of it to stick out in random directions. Her left hand was bandaged while her right middle and index fingers were in a splint.

" _Osik_ , what happened to you _vod_?" I breathed.

"One of your _vod_ decided to use me as a punching bag," Circe moaned. I held up my hands in self- defense. "Hey no _burc'ya_ of mine. The actions of one _Mando'ade_ do not reflect the actions of another _Mando'ade_."

"Yeah, I know," Circe sighed. "But I can see where Chratis gets his biased views of you. The Mandalorians have always fought against the Guardians, allying with the Sith and Skrall for generations. If I didn't know you, I'd say you were a spy and helped them destroy the Temple."

"Circe!" Mitch snapped, aghast. I held up my hand and got Mitch to back down.

"I understand the sentiment. It's why when I originally came to the Republic it was as the son of Knight and not a Mandalorian warrior. While _Mand'alor_ called for his people to join arms with the Empire, several of us knew he was no true Mandalorian. I followed my sense of duty and family and tossed my chips in with the Republic. I followed in my father's footsteps and helped the Guardian Order," I explained.

"We know. Dude, we don't doubt you. It's just tension is high right now. The Treaty of Coruscant was only signed a few days ago and the Empire just left Coruscanti space. Our forces are scattered and beaten while the Empire gloats over its heavy-handed victory," Mitch placated.

I nodded and then frowned as a thought occurred to me.

"Circe, shouldn't you be in bacta tank?"

She scoffed. "You'd think, but supplies are limited here so bacta is going to the priority cases, those you won't make it the night without it. I'm stable if not beaten. I'm just going to be out of the fight for a while."

"What's going to happen to the Order?"

"It'll recover. We lost half of the council in the attack but we'll survive. We've faced worse," Mitch whispered.

"Have we?" Circe laughed. "Not even the Purges or Civil War were this bad. Mitch, the enemy made it through our front door and destroyed our Temple. That's never happened before!"

"Okay, yeah, things are bad. Morale in in the shitter, but we'll pull through. What's the Republic without its Guardians?"

"If only I had your confidence." Circe closed her eyes and sighed, the conversation seeming to drain her. Mitch took up a seat next to her and gently held her hand. I gave a soft good bye before leaving.

* * *

In the months following the aftermath of the Treaty of Coruscant, the Republic continued to collapse despite its best efforts to survive. The Empire had consolidated its hold on a large portion of the Eastern Outer Rim and Midrim territories. Many planetary systems in the Midrim and Expansion zones to the north and east of the Core lost faith with the Republic and splintered off into independent systems taking their military forces with them. Systems that lacked real power banded together into small coalitions. The Core and Inner Rim systems closed ranks and managed to keep the Republic from floundering.

The Guardian Order did recover. With the war over thanks to the Treaty, the galaxy had entered something that gave the semblance of peace. The Guardian Order started preforming relief efforts to try and regain public support. Resources and manpower began to become stretched thin, but the Republic was slowly recovering from its humiliating defeat.


	3. Raiders

**Raiders**

The sounds of flesh slapping together, moans, grunts, and whimpering could be heard coming from the center of a large crowd. A split in the crowd the other prisoners and me to see the scene of cruelty, abuse, and obscenity in a depression in the floor. Three people were in the depression of the arena like room buried deep within the ship of our capturers. An unfortunate girl, a little older than me, was being raped by two large, sweaty, grimy pirates. The poor girl's clothes were ripped and her soft flesh red from abuse. A dazed, empty look filled her eyes having long given up fighting against her abusers.

A third man forced his way into the debacle and forced himself on the girl's rear. She shrieked as her ass was defiled, the sound muffled against one of the other pirate's waist. The three men sneered as they continued to rape her before they finally finished with her. Moving away, they left the girl's weak, abused, and defiled body in the middle of the depression. A taller pirate, a Weequay, snapped at two men with slave collars who quickly came forth and dragged the girl away. An older woman, one of the freshly captured, came forward and covered the girl in a rough blanket.

"Who's next?" A tall pirate with scars up and down his arms growled.

"How about this one? She's got a pretty face," one with a nasty scar down the left side of his face sneered. I looked around to see who he was talking about but gasped and stiffened in fear when I saw him walking towards me. I cowered as best I could in the corner and struggled against him as Scar-face tried to drag me onto the floor.

"No, please!" I shrieked. "Please don't!"

"Come on little girl!" Scar-face snapped yanking me off my feet. The man let me go and my face hit the metal floor. I tried to crawl away but the man grabbed me and forced my face back into the floor. He pinned my arms behind my back before yanking down my pants.

"No!" I shrieked, tears in my eyes. "Please don't! Please I'm begging you!"

Scar-face ignored my pleas and cries as he started to grope me, sneering in my ear, "You've got a nice ass. I'm going to enjoy fucking it." I whimpered and cried softly as he continued to tease me.

"Krillin! Leave her be!" a loud gravelly voice cried out. On the edge of my vision I saw an older man with neatly trimmed long grey hair and immaculately tailored navy blue suit and overcoat.

The man, Krillin, got off me and I quickly covered myself back up and curled into a ball. He smirked and leered at the old man. "Does the captain wish to have this one for himself? I know you like them young, sir."

"Stow it Krillin. I know how _you_ are with woman. This one would fetch us a pretty penny in the market, but if I let you have your way with her we'll be lucky if we get a thousand credits. No, I think someone else should have the pleasure of breaking her in," the captain stated in deep gravelly tones. The captain scanned the room before his gaze finally settled in a man nestled in the corner. He wore black armor with green highlights that covered his entire body. A black bodysuit could be see between the gaps in his armor plates. A dark moody presence seemed to ooze form his being and it felt like he was glaring at the world with utter distain from under that T-visor of his.

"Mandalorian, you can break the girl in," the captain ordered. "The girls you've had have always fetched higher than usual prices. Do as you wish, but remember: don't damage the merchandise."

The armored being detached himself from the wall and stalked towards me. Krillin backed away, distain and fear written on his face. I whimpered and cried out as the Mandalorian gripped my arm. He yanked me to my feet and dragged me from the arena like room. He led me down a long corridor in the pirates' ship. Opening a seemingly random door, he shoved me inside and I fell upon the cold metal floor. I scrambled to get up and scurried to the corner terrified. The Mandalorian bolted the door shut and started to remove his armor. Each piece hit the floor with a deep resounding _thunk_. He slowly advanced towards me as he stripped himself of his armor.

When he was standing over me, the only piece left was his helmet. He reached up and slowly removed it, twisting it to break the seal. A soft hiss escaped and he set the helmet down. He ran a hand through his slightly sweaty hair brushing it back from his face. The Mandalorian had rough features but still had some roundness to him from his youth. He had shoulder-length dark blonde hair and piercing cold blue eyes. Several days' worth of facial growth covered his jaw.

"Quit cowering," the young man growled. "I'm not going to do a damn thing to you. If you're cold, there's a blanket in the closet you can use." He started to remove his black body suit, it peeling off his toned body in several large pieces. I slowly moved to the closet and found the extra blanket he indicated. It was made of a rough woolen fabric and was a dingy brown but it was warm. I quickly and tightly wrapped myself up and nestled myself in the corner.

"I told you, you don't have to be afraid. I am not one of those barbarians," the Mandalorian growled as he put on slacks and a loose black shirt. I watched the smooth planes of his muscular back move as he dressed. If he wasn't so damn terrifying, he would have been rather attractive. Finally dressed in normal clothes, he turned back towards me and I noticed his eyes were slightly softer.

"If you're not one of them, then why are you here with them?" I asked hesitantly. "Why did you help them invade my village?"

"Captain Korin is paying me good money to provide extra firepower to his crew. He's been experiencing some unexpected resistance out here. However, unlike these barbarian pirates, I don't take pleasure in mindless killing and violence," the Mandalorian explained.

"But, you're a Mandalorian. Isn't your entire race based on fighting and violence?" I asked.

"Directed violence, fighting for honor and duty. We fight for a reason, not just for the pure joy of fighting," he explained. "Mandalorians enjoy a good fight and are always looking for someone to challenge our strength but we are not violent, mindless barbarians.

"I helped attack your village because I was ordered to by Captain Korin. That is all."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, holding myself tighter.

"Don't be," he growled. "Mandalorians have always had a bad rap."

"So what will happen to us?"

"You mean the other villagers?" I nodded. "They will be sold off to slavers and Captain Korin will make a nice profit. What happens to them is up to their new masters."

"Oh," I whimpered. "What do you plan on doing to me?"

"Nothing. But I am protecting you. So long as the others think I am taking advantage of you and having some fun, they won't touch you. But if one of them is stupid enough to do so, let me know and I'll break their arms."

He sat down on his bunk and rested against the bulkhead. He drew up one knee up and had the other tucked under it, lying flat on the bed. He grabbed a holobook and began reading. I bit my lip and keeping the blanket around me, stood up.

"Um, where are your facilities?" I asked nervously. The Mandalorian barely looked up from his holo and said, "Head is a right down the hall. Third corridor, take a left, and then the fourth door on the right. It ain't exactly four-stars and I advise you take care of your business quickly."

I nodded and dropped the blanket. I quickly made my way through the ship to the facilities. The Mandalorian was right when he said this place was bad. It was dirty and grimy, but it wasn't completely filthy. It consisted of bare toilets with no divider walls and basic metal sinks. I gulped and went to the nearest, cleanest looking toilet and slipped my pants down. I took care of my business as quickly as I could, but I couldn't do it quick enough.

The second I finished, a large burly man walked in. He was all muscle and stood at least seven feet tall. He was unbelievably hairy and smelled horrible. I whimpered as he walked towards me but he just grunted.

"You're the Mandalorian's new girl aren't you?" he grunted. I nodded and he just grunted again.

"I advise you don't leave his room without him. Some of the men here aren't as scared of him as they should be," Mountain man growled. I nodded again and quickly washed my hands before scurrying back to the Mandalorian's room.

He hadn't moved.

I picked up the blanket again and returned to my corner.

"You don't have to lie down there. You can join me on the bed," Mandalorian said flatly. I blushed but did so, sitting on the edge of the bed as far away from him as the bed would let me.

"What is your name?" He asked offhandedly.

"May, sir," I replied meekly. He grunted and replied, "Jäeger."

* * *

I think I fell asleep at some point sitting there in the silence. Jäeger hadn't been much of a talker. He just sat there reading his holo, so I was left alone with my thoughts. Wondering how I got into this mess. Things used to be so much better. Now I don't know what was going to happen to me. Jäeger had managed to lie down in a relatively comfortable position at some point while I slept. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, not the cold hardened man he is when awake.

I bit my lip, surprisingly tempted to lie down beside him. His warm chiseled body looked inviting, especially now that he had removed his shirt and I could see his finely-toned muscles and broad features.

Chewing my lip more, I lied down beside him, but I refrained from snuggling with him. I quietly watched Jäeger' slow breathing and the steady pulse of his neck. There was something familiar about Jäeger, something that reminded me about a man I knew from a former life. Pain lanced my heart as painful memories surfaced. Jäeger shifted in his sleep and I heard him whisper something, but I wasn't able to make out what he said. I sighed and tried to drift back to sleep.

* * *

I made a soft little coo when I came to in the morning, my long red hair an absolute mess. I ran my fingers though my hair trying to smooth it out when I felt something tighten around my waist. I glanced down and my breath caught as I realized Jäeger's strong arm was gently wrapped around my waist. Not wanting to disturb him or return to the harsh reality that was my life now, I lied back down snuggling back up against my Mandalorian capturer's hard body.

I sighed as I ran my fingers over the rippling muscle of his abdomen. Despite not wanting to think about it, my mind kept going back to the horrible events of yesterday. The day had started off normal enough until a large battered frigate descended out of the Ruusani sky. Pirates had come charging out of the cargo bay doors, blasters blazing, setting upon the human settlement I had called home.

They had killed several of the men before we had been forced to surrender. The pirates had been ruthless, killing all the old and frail in my village before shoving the rest into their hold and proceeding to defile all the young woman.

Those horrible memories made me cringe and cling tighter to Jäeger. He stiffened before exploding in a blur of motion. I squeaked as he pinned me beneath him, fist cocked back to punch me. Situational awareness returned to him after two seconds and sat back on his thighs.

"Sorry about that. Not used to waking up next to really cute redheads," Jäeger stated as the tension left his body. If was wasn't so terrified by his reaction I would have blushed at that offhanded comment. He climbed off me as I tried to calm my breathing.

"How did me grabbing you set you off but not my light teasing of your abs?" I asked confused.

"I have weird sleeping tendencies. Wait, you were teasing my abs?" He shot a very confused look over his shoulder as he started to put back on his body suit. I blushed and brush a lock of hair behind my ear. He finished putting on his armor, nestling his helmet in the crook of his arm. "I'm going to go get some grub. You stay here and don't open that door."

I nodded getting out of bed and teasing my hair back to normalcy.

"If you want something else to wear, you can try and find something in my closet, but it's all men's large so…" I gave him an understanding smile. He twisted on his helmet returning to the cold warrior he was. He headed out the door leaving me to my lonesome. I stretched and got up. Even though Jäeger had told me I needed to stay in the room, I really needed to use the facilities again. Sneaking out and down the hall, I made it to the facilities. There happened to be a grimy mirror but it was clean enough for me to look in it. My hair was still messy and sleep still clung to my emerald green eyes. I wiped some of the sleep from my eyes and did my business without incident.

I wasn't so lucky on the way back.

I turned a corner and slammed right into a greasy body. I gulped when I looked up and saw it was Krillin. He leered at me with a lopsided grin. He grabbed me and pinned me against the wall. My heart was pounding in my ear as he leaned in and sniffed my neck.

"Hehehe, fear is a good smell on you," he snickered. He forced my hands above my head and began to undo my blouse.

"Get your hands off of me! The Mandalorian will have your head!" I screamed. Krillin frowned. Suddenly my world turned white as he backhanded me. I tasted blood in my mouth and my lip was on fire.

"I don't give a fuck about your little boyfriend. He's all talk. I've killed men bigger than him and I've broken women much stronger than you." He sneered as he leaned in and licked my neck. I shivered and tried to break away. I shot my knee out trying to caught him in the crotch. Krillin grunted as I got him in the thigh. He punched me in the gut driving the air out of my lungs. Gasping for breath, I was helpless as Krillin finished undoing my blouse revealing my black cotton bra.

"You have three seconds to remove your hands from her before I remove them from your body." I turned to see Jäeger standing there like the Angel of Death.

"I ain't afraid of you," Krillin snarled.

"I think you should be dumbass," I whispered. Krillin released me only to backhand me again. I cried out in pain as I fell to the ground. I spun around, lying there on the ground in time to see Jäeger slam Krillin's head into the wall. Krillin bounced off and tried to throw a punch only for Jäeger to grab his arm and snap it like a twig. Krillin screamed in pain, falling to his knees. Jäeger kicked Krillin in the head with his armored boot. Krillin's head dented the wall before he slummed down, unconscious.

"What did I tell you?" Jäeger asked as he yanked me to my feet.

"Don't leave the room," I muttered.

"And now you know why."

I nodded as my angry savior hauled me back to his room. There on the desk were two trays with what resembled food. Jäeger pointed towards the bed and I dutifully sat like a child being scolded.

"This ship is a rats' nest of thieves, rapists, and murderers. You cannot leave this room." Jäeger brought over a tray and I nearly gagged on the smell. "It's not as bad as it smells. Try and stomach it because it's all they have got."

I swallowed and managed to shoved the rather tasteless grey gloop into my mouth. It had the consistency of slimy mash potatoes. I forced it down and it did manage to fill me up, but I could only imagine what it was doing to my system. Jäeger shoved it down like it was chocolate pudding.

Jäeger took our trays back to the mess hall and just as he returned a comlink on his desk started going off. Jäeger glanced over at it before turning towards me.

"Anything you hear within the next ten minutes is completely confidential and classified. Breath a word of it to anyone and I _will_ have to kill you along with everyone on this damn ship." Jäeger removed his helmet and picked up the comlink. He entered a code before bringing it up to his ear.

"Mando here," he said. "Go _vod_ ,"

"Can't you take that on your helmet com?" I asked quietly.

"Comlink is encrypted to the point where I can't link it to my helmet. _Di'kutla_ techs. No, not you. I may have company," Jäeger stated into the comlink. "Hey I am doing my job here! This isn't the first time this has happened either!"

I shifted uncomfortably as Jäeger continued to talk to a disgruntled voice on the other end of the comm.

"No, so far we have not attacked any planets under Republic control. These pirates are smart. They're preying on independent systems on the edge of Hutt Space. It's only a matter of time before the Hutts themselves get sick of these guys and kill them off."

The other end barked at Jäeger.

"No, I will let you know when we enter Republic space. And failing that I'll just put a damn bomb in the engine room and blow these bastards to Hell," Jäeger explained. "Also we took cargo recently. The captain saddled me with another poor girl to 'train'. Going to need you to pick this one up at the auction in three days' time. Nar Shaddaa again."

The other end said something in an aggravated tone.

"Oh shove it up your _shebs_! You told me to go deep undercover and to maintain that cover until the job was done! Now, I will let you know when we make port." He snapped the comlink shut and tossed it onto the desk. He dug a rifle out of the closet and started to field strip it down and clean it.

"So, um, what happened to those other girls you had to train? What is this place anyway?" I asked hesitantly.

"Welcome aboard the _Bloody Hawk;_ captained by one Shev Korin. He and his band of thieves and murderers go around the Outer Rim pillaging, raping, and trading. He's been trafficking humans lately and letting his men break in the newest women. The pricing he's been able to get ranges depending on who gets them, but he's been sending the prettier ones my way because mine apparently fetch higher prices.

"But the thing is, I don't actually touch those girls. I keep them safe and let them be. When we make port to sell the latest cargo into slavery, my handler makes sure he buys the girl I got and then the money goes to me as part of my share for the haul. Win-win because I save a life and my handler gets to keep his money," Jäeger explained as he oiled down the intricate metal parts of his weapon.

"Who do you work for?"

Jäeger slid the barrel back onto the firing mechanism. "That you will find out soon enough."

I hmphed at the avoidance. Jäeger finished cleaning his gun before taking off segments of his armor and started maintaining that.

"Got anything for me to do?"

"Got holobooks but they are mainly survival books and gun holozines. Not much in my library for little girls to read."

"Hey I am twenty!"

"And I'm twenty-five."

I hmphed again.

Suddenly a klaxon started blaring. Jäeger strapped back on his armor and jackknifed to his feet. He grabbed his rifle and checked the load.

"Stay here. There's a hold-out blaster under the pillow. Anyone tries to come through that door, shoot them." Jäeger left and bolted the door shut. I immediately grabbed the small hold-out blaster and clutched it tightly.


	4. Raiders Pt 2

I growled as I barreled down the corridor to the command deck. Pirates were rushing about getting to their stations. Captain Korin was walking about, boots thunking on the rusty durasteel flooring. The main viewport didn't show the speeding lights of hyperspace that I was expecting. Instead there was the flaming, crippled hulls of several cargo freighters bearing the BlasTech Industries double-star standard.

"What's going on? Why are we not in hyperspace?" I inquired.

"But of a change of plans. We were about to make the second jump to Nar Shaddaa when these lovely boys dropped out of hyperspace. We can fetch a pretty penny on the black market for BlasTech parts." Korin turned to a console and opened up a communication line.

"Ready the docking bays! We are boarding!" He turned back towards the command crew. "Bring us in." The freighters slowly got closer. "Mandalorian go get ready to board. Kill everyone on board and secure the cargos. Then we are going to have a little talk about Krillin."

"Nothing to talk about sir. _Di'kut_ tried to touch the girl you entrusted me with so I broke his arm." I turned and headed back to my chamber. These _di'kutla_ pirates just gave me an out.

* * *

I could hear people running around the ship. The pounding of boots got closer before the bolt on the door slid open. I squeaked as I fired the blaster Jäeger had given me.

" _Osik_! May, it's me!" I dropped the blaster as Jäeger walked into the room smoke curling form his left shoulder. He glanced down and grunted. "Huh. Right over the heart."

I covered my mouth with my hands. "Jäeger I am so sorry."

"No problem. Going to take more than an overpowered blaster pistol to damage _beskar'gam_." He headed over and grabbed his comlink. He opened it and punched in the code. "Come on pick up you _di'kut_."

"What?" the other end asked.

"The _Bloody Hawk_ is currently attack a BlasTech convoy as we speak. Orders are to kill all on board and take the cargo. We've jammed their communications so the BlasTech boys can't send out a distress signal. Lock onto this line and send the cavalry."

I gasped as Jäeger tossed me his comlink.

"Kept that line open. Backup is on the way and then we can get you and your fellow villagers back to your home." He left the room, bandolier of grenades over his shoulder.

* * *

The _Bloody Hawk_ docked with the nearest BlasTech freighter. I slammed against the bulkhead while two of the pirates cut through the blast door into the first freighter. I checked the charge on my DC-17 assault rifle and made sure it was set to stun.

"Breaching in three…two…one…Flashbang out!" A grenade bounced down the hall and detonated in the BlasTech ship. Three pirates plus me charged forward. Five BlasTech security guys were hunched over in the docking bay of the frigate. I fired quickly taking out two guys, stunning them before the pirates could kill them.

"Mandalorain, make for the bridge. We will take the cargo. The _Bloody Hawk_ is going to disengage and move on to the other frigates. Once the cargo is secured the _Hawk_ will come back. Understood?"

"Understood. Moving on the bridge." I pushed forward slowly moving down the corridors of the BlasTech frigate. I neared a corner just as my motion tracker lit up. Two targets moved on the corridor. I pressed up against the wall, strapped my rifle to my back, and waited. The first guard rounded the corner and I slugged him in the face with my gauntleted fist. He dropped like a rock much to the shock of his friend. He responded quickly though bringing his rifle to bear. I grabbed it, forced it down, and slammed my elbow into his face.

Unlike the first BlasTech guy though, the second's jaw wasn't made of glass. He staggered back as I ripped the rifle from his arms. I tossed it aside and punched the guard in the gut and then wrapped my arm around his neck. He pawed at my arm as I put him in a choke hold and knocked him out.

I continued to move on the bridge only to find the door sealed up tight.

" _Hawk_ , I have made it to the bridge. They got the door sealed up tight. Not sure how I am going to get through," I relayed over comms.

"We're sending Jacobe over with some plastic explosives. We need you to take that bridge. The boys can't get to the cargo if you don't open those doors!"

I frowned. While the _Bloody Hawk_ had lost its splicer on a raid gone horribly wrong two days before I joined on, they should have still had the intelligence to realize those explosives would serve a better purpose at the cargo bay. Jacobe showed up, a young kid, too young in my opinion to be running around with pirates, with scruffy brown hair and a lanky build. He shrugged off a satchel with three pounds of C12 in it.

" _Osik_ , they really mean business," I breathed. I only needed a third of this payload to get in. I placed a hastily made shaped-charge on the locks to the blast doors. Grabbing the det, I grabbed Jacobe, forced him around the corner, and blew the door. Motioning for Jacobe to stay back I moved forward, concussion grenades at the ready. I slammed against the door frame and tossed the grenades into the bridge.

"Grenade! Get down!"

The concussion grenades detonated. I forced the blast door the rest of the way up and Jacobe rushed forward. He cleared the door and cursed as I heard the sound of a repeating cannon unload. Jacobe's body crashed to the ground a mangled and bloody mess.

"Lieutenant Jäeger, this is Lieutenant Avery of the _Crimson Blade_ ," a soft melodic voice said over my helmet comm. "We are preparing to attack the _Bloody Hawk_. You have five minutes to secure yourself before we breach."

"Understood _Crimson Blade_. I am on the first BlasTech frigate. I am going to need to go exo to reach the _Bloody Hawk_."

"Rodger that. Sending a shuttle to pick you up. Knight Blair wants you to lead the assault on the pirate ship."

"Of course he does," I growled under my breath.

"Sorry, what was that sir?"

"Nothing. Moving towards the portside stern docking ring." I did an about face and ran back towards the docking ring.

"Mandalorian why haven't you opened those doors yet?" Captain Korin roared over my helmet comm. "A goddamn Republic CR-12 corvette just dropped in on us! We need to secure that cargo and leave!"

"Sorry captain but you and your men are under arrest," I stated calmly. The captain swore and started questioning my parentage, claiming my mother mated with a Hutt, before I cut the line. I reached the docking ring to see the pirates round the corner as well.

"Kill the traitor!" one of them screamed. Frowning I ducked behind the nearest corner and switched my ammo from stun to lethal. Popping back out, I unleashed deadly light in short controlled burst and killed all the pirates in three seconds.

"Lieutenant, your ride is here," Lt. Avery stated over the comm. I slammed my fist against the door controls and the airlock spiraled open to reveal four men in white Katarn armor, the standard of Republic Commandos and based off of Mandalorian armor and made from a strong, dense plastiod alloy.

"Need a lift?" Fi held out his hand while Atin aimed his DC-15 down the corridor.

"Get me back to the _Bloody Hawk_ ," I ordered. The Commandos took their seats and Niner punched it. The shuttle moved back towards the pirates' frigate.

"Orders are search and destroy. The Guardians and, more importantly, the Senate are sick of these filthy pirates and want them blown into lots of little pieces. We got a large payload of explosives in the back. We are to deliver it to the engine bay and blow the _Bloody Hawk_ to Hell," Darman explained.

"The _Hawk_ took on cargo recently. They haven't had time to offload," I explained.

"What kind of cargo?" Niner inquired.

"The human kind. Small colony from Ruusan. About twenty woman and children. My Talon fighter can only hold one other person and they literally have to sit on my lap."

"We can take them after we offload the payload. It'll be a tight fit, but we can make it back to the _Crimson Blade_. Any other issues?"

"Yeah, I need to secure my kit and Starfighter."

"Well do it quick. We are needed on Kashyyyk within three hours," Knight Blair said overriding the comlink.

"Understood. Start the mission clock now."

Niner pulled their shuttle into the _Bloody Hawk's_ small fighter bay and set down. Omega Squad and I headed to the back and disembarked with the payload. It was the equivalent of five Argent V missiles. Activating the gravsled, Darman pushed the payload forward, his DC-15 setting on the crate.

"Corridor straight ahead leads to the main corridor that runs the length of the ship. Left takes you aft and a level above the engine room. Right leads to crew quarters and directly below the cargo bay currently holding the prisoners. Bridge is up two levels and in the very front of the ship," I explained. I got four affirmative lights on my HUD.

"Expect heavy enemy resistance. I estimate twenty pirates remain on board. Five were sent to each BlasTech frigate. Darman and Atin you head to the engine room and secure the payload. Fifteen minute timer. Niner, Fi, and I will secure the prisoners. Move!"

The Commandos gave me green lights before we split at the four-way junction. Darman and Atin pushed towards the stern while the rest of us made for the bow. We entered the quarters for the crew and were immediately accosted by enemy fire.

"Ten enemy combatants." Niner ducked into a door alcove and loaded a grenade into his launcher attachment. "Fire in the hole!" There was a _thoomp_ and then screams as the grenade blew the pirates into smithereens. I pressed forward unleashing quick bursts of fire at the stragglers.

"Like shooting fish in a barrel," FI chuckled. "Come on; make it hard for us."

"They're pirates, not trained professionals. Come on, keep moving." We moved down the corridor, not getting far before we reached my quarters.

The door was jarred open.

"Keep moving forward. Left at the second hall, and stairs are at the end. Secure the prisoners. I need to secure my kit and then I'm going to blow the bridge to hell," I ordered. Fi and Niner acknowledged before moving down the hall. Keeping my rifle at the ready, I pushed the door open. It only opened a few inches before I met resistance. Frowning I shouldered the door open and slipped inside.

There lying on the floor was Krillin's smoking corpse. A hole had been blasted right through his heart and smoke was still curling up from it. May sat on the bed with a glazed over look in her eyes. The holdout blaster had smoke wafting up from the barrel and was loosely being held by May. Slapping my rifle on my back, I slowly made my way over to her.

"May? May, can you hear me?" I asked softly. She kept looking at the corpse. I gently slapped her. She jumped and turned the now empty blaster on me. I grabbed it and gently disarmed her. May proceeded to fight back, punching, and slapping at my helmet and armor. I grabbed her hands and pinned them in her lap before removing my helmet with one hand.

"May it's me, Jäeger!" Her eyes widened in recognition before she started breaking down. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. I'm getting you and everyone else out of here."

"I killed a man," she breathed.

"It was self-defense." I tossed her a jacket and dragged my duffel bag out of my storage closet. I quickly checked to see that all my explosives were still inside along with munitions, extra firearms, and medical supplies. Zipping the bag shut, I slung it over my shoulder and motioned May out the door.

"Stay on my ass. Only move when I tell you. I need to destroy the bridge before we get off this ship," I explained.

"O- okay," May whispered. She held my black blaster-proof jacket tight to her slender frame and followed after me as I edged my way back into the corridor. I pulled out a DL-21 Blaster Pistol and moved slowly. We didn't meet any more opposition before reaching the bridge.

"Omega Squad: status report," I stated.

"Engine room secured. Planting the bomb now," Atin said.

"Found the hostages. However, we have five pirate bastards aiming guns at them saying they will kill them if we make a move," Niner growled.

"Understood. Try and keep them from shooting. I'm coming to you," I stated.

"What about the bridge?"

"Secondary priority. I'm coming to you." I shot the control panel to the door so no one could escape before leaving the bridge and heading down three floors to the cargo bay. Niner and Fi were standing at the entrance tense while the hostages were all crowded into the center of the cargo hold. The five pirates each had hostages in their arms with the barrel of some big guns against the hostages' temples.

"Niner, Fi, pick a target and hold until I give the signal." I reached into my bag, pulled out a second pistol, and then shoulder off the bag. I kept my weapons at my sides as I slowly walked into the cargo hold.

"Not another step Mandalorian!" the Weequay in charge snapped. "The captain told us you were a bloody turncoat!"

"You guys know me and just how dangerous I am," I stated lowly. "You have five seconds to put your guns down and let the hostages go."

"Stick it up your ass!"

"You want to put your guns down and let the prisoners go." I used the Force to influence the pirates. They hesitated for only a second before lowering their guns and pushing the hostages away.

"Take em." I snapped up my pistols and shot the farthest two in the head as Fi and Niner popped out from around the corner and shot two others. The fifth guy was about to get a shot off but I put him down before he could even squeeze the trigger. "Hostages secured. Darman, Atin, meet us in the main corridor. We're coming to you."

"What about the bridge?" Atin asked.

"I fried the door controls."

"Understood."

I holstered my pistols and returned to May and my bag. Niner and Fi directed the hostages back to their shuttle. I brought up the rear with May directly behind me. I could feel her hand clutching tightly to my belt. We avoid further enemy contact as we reached the hanger bay. Darman and Atin were directing the hostages onto the shuttle when I reached them.

"Rendezvous on the _Crimson Blade._ We have five minutes before that bomb turns this frigate into vapor," Darman stated. I nodded and directed May over towards my black _Liberator_ -class Talon fighter.

"Mandalorian!"

I turned and saw Captain Korin standing at the entrance to the hanger bay with ten men all carrying some heavy weaponry.

"I thought you said you locked them in the bridge," Atin growled.

"Now is _not_ the time." I pushed May towards my ship as I leveled my DC-17 at the captain. "Captain Korin, you and your men are under arrest. Lower your weapons and surrender your ship."

"Four minutes," Darman stated over the helmet comlink.

"I think not. My ship can easily outrun that damn Republic frigate. Even without the BlasTech cargo, I can make plenty of credits selling the slaves. All I need to do is kill you five." Captain Korin leveled a snub blaster at me. Omega Squad responded by turning their weapons on the pirates. Niner gently shoved the last prisoner into the shuttle and slammed the button to shut the cargo hatch.

"Omega Squad pick a target," Niner ordered.

"Really hope this armor can stand up," Fi smirked.

"I am giving you one last chance Korin. Stand down." I slowly tightened my trigger finger.

"Men, kill them all!" Korin fired. The shot went wide and I heard May scream behind me. I unleashed an unholy barrage of death towards Korin, all twenty rounds hitting him in the chest. The captain dropped like a rock, his chest a smoldering crater, as the rest of his men unloaded. Omega Squad dove to the sides seeking cover as I reloaded and allowed my armor to take the brunt of the attack. While it could take a beating, a sustained barrage like this would eventually break it.

I reloaded my rifle as Omega Squad got to taking out pirates.

"Sir we have two minutes and thirty seconds before that bomb turns _us_ into vapor," Darman reminded me.

"Understood. Take off. I'll cover you." I unloaded a constant barrage of fire. "Suppressing fire; move!" Omega Squad moved their _shebs_ towards the shuttle, loaded in, and then blasted out of the hanger bay at top speed.

"May are you okay?" I snapped as I reloaded. I continued to fire, slowly moving back towards my fighter.

"Took the blast to my arm. The jacket took the shot. But it still hurts!" I heard her whimper behind me.

"Get in my fighter, now!" I paused for two seconds to hit a command on my left bracer command pad. The cockpit opened and the engines fired up. "Climb in!" Laser fire whizzed past my head and I frowned as I looked back towards the pirates.

"How are you _chakaar_ still alive?" I primed a grenade before tossing it at the remaining pirates. I tossed my rifle up into the cockpit before jumping in. I strapped myself in before pulling May into my lap. "Hold on. This is not going to be pleasant."

Holding May tight, I whipped my ship around 180 and redlined the engine out of the hanger bay. May screamed as the G-forces mounted and the ship detonated in a massive fireball. I slowed down the engine and fired the retroboosters to bring us to a halt and spun the ship around. Sitting on the edge of the blast radius was a crimson with silver highlights _Thranta_ -class frigate; the _Crimson Blade_.

"How's the arm?" I asked quietly.

"It hurts but I'll live," May whispered. She had a scared, distant look in her eye. I wrapped my arm around her waist and she buried her head in my neck before starting to cry. I rubbed her back and leaned back so she was more comfortable.

"Come in Mando One, this is _Crimson Blade_."

"Go _Crimson Blade_ ," I said.

"Knight Blair commends you for the entertainment, but we are needed on Kashyyyk. Unfortunately, your personal frigate takes up too much room on the _Crimson Blade_ for you to dock your fighter," Lt. Avery explained apologetically.

"It's fine. I managed to squeeze a small hyperdrive in here. I can keep up with you."

"Understood. Fall into formation and prepare for the jump. Sending coordinates to you now."

I glanced at my navcomputer as the _Crimson Blade_ sent over jump coordinates. I locked them in and then guided my ship over towards the frigate, pulling alongside it. A timer counted down and then my viewport was filled with the stretched lines of hyperspace. May's crying died out after about half an hour and then she listed off to sleep. I sighed and removed my helmet, reclining back further into my seat.

 _This is going to be a_ long _trip_ I thought.


	5. Raiders Pt 3

"Who in this goddamn galaxy is this?" Knight Katar growled pointing at May. She shied away, pulling my jacket closer. Knight Tiberius Katar was the apprentice to Master Chratis and my handler. A Corellian with short brown hair and green eyes, he was just as surly and anti-Mandalorian as his Master.

"One of the Ruusani the pirates captured. She couldn't fit on the shuttle Omega Squad brought back. Don't get your panties in a twist you _di'kut_ ," I said getting in front of him.

"I wish you would stop calling me that," Katar growled pinching the bridge of his nose. "Now! I need to debrief you on your mission before the Council decided where it wants to ship you off next."

"Debriefing can wait, Knight Katar. I want to catch up with an old friend." I glanced over Katar's shoulder to see Mitch in his Guardian Standard walking towards us. He smirked as he came near and embraced me. I smacked him in the back before he wrapped his arm around me.

"Sir, I know you are the commanding officer here but I must insist on an immediate debriefing while the Lieutenant still remembers what happened," Katar insisted.

"You want to debrief someone, debrief Omega Squad," Mitch frowned. Katar glared as Mitch lead me towards the interior of the _Crimson Blade._ May smiled sympathetically before chasing after Mitch and I. She immediately attached herself to my arm and refused to let go.

"Um, Jäeger who is this?" Mitch asked slightly confused. "You get yourself a new bonny lass while on mission?" I smirked as Mitch slipped into that British accent he liked to hid.

"Mitch, this is May. She was among the human cargo the _Bloody Hawk_ took on. She from Ruusan," I explained. "May, don't you want to go find the others?"

"Can I just stay with you for right now?" May asked nervously. I could still see that scared look in her eyes. Even her Force Presence exuded fear and anxiety. I relented and nodded, the poor girl gripping me even tighter.

"So how'd your mission go?" Mitch asked nonchalant as we moved through his ship. Crewmen moved with purpose, giving hasty salutes as Mitch passed them in the crapped corridors of the corvette.

"Fine. Don't understand the politics of it really, but the Guardian Council was very adamant on the conditions for the pirates' demise," I grumbled. "Can we not talk about the mission? I though you wanted to play catch up?"

"Right, sorry. That was just the first thing to come to mind. How's the family?" Mitch said changing topics.

"Don't know. Haven't been home in a while, but since I haven't gotten any distress signals from them I assume things are fine."

We rounded a corner and Mitch lead us to a sealed room several doors down. He quickly entered a six-digit code into the terminal and it opened with a sharp hiss. Gesturing for us to enter, I gently led May inside the _Crimson Blade_ 's Officers' Room. Inside were several wrap-around couches made of soft leather that pointed towards a large viewport. They took up the right wall and extended into the middle of the room. A mahogany table sat in the middle of the couches while a large bar and kitchenette took up the left wall.

"Your usual?" Mitch asked heading for the bar. I nodded and Mitch glanced at May. "Anything for you, miss?"

"Some water would be nice," May blushed softly. Mitch chuckled and got two shot glasses and a tall regular glass. He filled one shot glass with an amber whiskey, the second with _tihaar_ , and the glass with water. May sequestered herself in the corner of the where two couches met and graciously took her water when Mitch came over with the drinks. I removed my helmet and ran a hand through my hair before taking mine.

"Cheers," Mitch stated raising his glass. "To another mission down and living to tell the tale!"

" _Oya_!" Mitch and I touched glasses before downing our drinks in one go. May sipped hers quietly, nursing it between her hands. She had drawn her legs up to her chest and had my jacket draped around her like a blanket. Her Presence had calmed a little but fear, anxiety, sadness lingered. I put my glass down, went over to the bar, and got the bottles of our drinks of choice and returned to my spot. I glanced at May but she was staring off into the distance.

Topping off our drinks, Mitch asked, "So, May, how do you like me ship?"

Her head snapped up with a slight start. "It's nice I guess. I didn't realize the Guardian Order had their own ships," May said softly.

"Since we're a peacekeeping taskforce with a little more influence and power than other branches of the military, we are able to commission and own our ships," Mitch explained. "It helps with moving troops, supplies, and makes relief efforts easier given we don't have to go through the red tape of requesting aid from the other branches." May nodded and took a sip of her glass.

"How's Circe? Last I heard she and Oromis where on Ord Mantell dealing with refugees and Insurrectionists," I stated before downing my second glass.

"She's fine. Got a holo-message from her before we were redirected to help you. She says she misses me and that the work is tiring but she feels good that she's making people's lives a little better after the horrors they witnessed during the war," Mitch stated staring out the viewport at the passing stars and the growing image of Kashyyyk. With the help of one of Mitch's fighter pilots I had managed to dock my fighter aboard my private frigate before returning to the _Crimson Blade_. There Katar had accosted me the second I got on board.

Lt. Avery had informed me of why we were heading to Kashyyyk to begin with. Wookies were disappearing from the planet; one here, two there, small numbers from all over the planet. Taking separately, they seemed like isolated events but when viewed together, it looked like someone was taking Wookies from all over Kashyyyk. The Guardian Order had dispatched Knight Blair, Omega Squad, and the men under Blair's command to look into the incidents and try and find who was responsible. I would have liked to stay behind and help Mitch with his hunt but I was sure the Council had other places for me to be and Mitch was a highly capable Knight.

"What's going to happen to the others?" May asked hesitantly after several minutes of silence.

"The Ruusani will be put on a shuttle and returned home curtesy of the Guardian Order. I will have a ship chartered and paid for that will take you all straight to your village or any other town on Ruusan once we reach the surface," Mitch explained offhandedly, slipping back into his normal Corellian accent. He preferred to use that for official business. He finished his drink and poured a third.

"What if we don't want to return to Ruusan?"

"That's your choice, but then you will have to find your own means of transportation to get to your destination." Mitch glanced over towards her. "What do you have in mind? Do you not wish to return to Ruusan?"

May glanced down at her water and stared into it before answering. "Both my parents died when the pirates invaded and I no longer have relatives on Ruusan. I figured I'd go somewhere else, start over, become something more than just a farmer's wife on some backwater planet."

"It's good to have ambition," Mitch said with a small smile. "It's a big galaxy. I'm sure you'll find your place in it somewhere along the line."

A tone emanated from the wall near the door. I glanced over and saw the intercom was blinking. Mitch sighed, downed his drink, and went over to the intercom. "This is Blair."

"Sorry to disturb you sir, but Knight Katar would really like to debrief Knight Jäeger," Lt. Avery stated on the other end.

"There's no way he already got through Omega Squad," Mitch frowned incredulous.

"I'm not in charge of them," Katar growled taking over the connection. "Sergeant Skirata oversees them, so he does their debriefing. Now give me _my_ asset so _I_ can do _my_ job!"

"Somebody really shoved a stick up his _shebs_ ," I growled over my drink. May giggled a little before Mitch stabbed at the intercom.

"Don't you get huffy with me Tiberius! This is my ship so you have to defer to me. You and Jäeger are scheduled to be shipped back to Coruscant once we reach Kashyyyk. You will have plenty of time to debrief him on the way," Mitch explained, authority heavy in his voice.

"Yes sir," Katar growled back. The connection terminated. Mitch sighed as his shoulder slumped. He came over, grabbed the bottle of whiskey and took several long pulls straight from it.

Then he filled his glass.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve that man on my ship," Mitch groaned.

"Be lucky you don't have him as your supervisor. I am a Knight in my own right and the Council still treats me like a grunt fresh out of Basic," I stated. May threw a confused look my way. "I'm a Mandalorian under the command of the Guardian Order. My father used to be a Knight so I felt like it was my duty to continue the service."

"Because Jäeger here isn't a full-time member of the Order, the Council decided to assign him a handler. Especially after the fiasco four months ago when the Empire sacked Coruscant," Mitch elaborated.

"Oh," May whispered. She took another small drink of her glass as she watched the green marble that was Kashyyyk become larger and larger in the viewport. Within the hour we would be docking and then taking a series of shuttles to the surface. Or the Ruusani and the crew of the _Crimson Blade_. I would be taking the _Valiant_ to the nearest refueling station, load up on some supplies, and then head to Coruscant with unwanted company in tow.

"Knight Blair you are needed on the bridge for the final approach," Lt. Avery stated over the intercom as the docking rings orbiting Kashyyyk became visible. Mitch sighed as he set his glass down and got up.

"What's the point of a CO if he can't land the ship by himself? Whelp, see you around Jäeger." Mitch gave a dismissive wave as he left for the bridge. I finished my drink and proceeded to return the glassware and drinks to the bar. A small round droid rolled over and set about cleaning the glasses and putting the drinks back in their place.

"Ready to start your new adventure?" I asked May. She blushed, uncertainty in her eyes, as she got up and walked towards the door, setting her empty glass of water on the counter for the droid to take care of. I secured my helmet on my head before guiding May towards the docking bays where crew and Ruusani were preparing to go ashore.

"This is it. Go and see the galaxy. Stay safe." I frowned as I saw the turmoil on May's face and felt the nervous tension and anxiety being given off by her Force Presence. "Something the matter?"

"What if I don't want to go off on my own?" May asked barely audible. "What if I want to stay with you?"

"My life is not something you want to experience," I stated flatly.

"I don't care!" May snapped. She flushed and determination entered her eyes. "I feel safe around you," she stated softer. "I have no one else right now. Please, just let me stay with you for a little bit longer."

"Fine. If that's what you want. But I'm going to warn you now: I am first and foremost a soldier. My life is dangerous and by association you will be in danger."

"I know you'll do your best to keep me safe."

I guided her away from the teeming crowd and back to the main hanger. Knight Katar was waiting impatiently for me at the portside entrance, foot tapping away on the extended ramp.

"What is she doing here? Why isn't she with the rest of the Ruusani waiting to go ashore?" Katar demanded.

"She decided to tag along with me for a bit longer. That an issue?" I asked challenging Katar's authority.

"Normally I'd say yes, but since she witnessed some of the pirates' depravity, I'd like to get her side of the story. The Guardian Council can decide her fate when we get to Coruscant." Katar moved aside for me and I entered the assess code for my ship. The door opened and I headed to the cockpit.

" _Crimson Blade_ , this _Valiant_ requesting permission to leave," I stated as I slowly warmed up the engines.

"Permission granted _Valiant_. Kashyyyk Space Control has already been made aware of your situation and you have been cleared for refueling at Docking Station B9. Godspeed and have a good flight." Lt. Avery gave me the green light and two flight crew members guided me out of the hanger bay.

"May the Force be with you Jäeger," Mitch added over the comm before _Crimson Blade_ cut the connection.

"You too buddy," I whispered as I flipped a few switches and then throttled the sublight engines forward. I guided my frigate over to Docking Station B9, let the clamps attach before killing the engines again, and then a series of automated hoses and pumps connected refueling my ship.

* * *

Katar shuffled some datapads before turning on his holorecorder. "Mission Debriefing for Operation Raiders. Time is fifteen hundred twenty-seven on Galactic Standard Date seven-twenty-zero of Era Seven. Asset is Mandalorian Mercenary and Guardian Knight Jäeger. Handler is Guardian Knight Tiberius Katar.

"Mission was to neutralize a former Imperial asset known as the _Bloody Hawk_ and its crew. The _Bloody Hawk_ was a pirate vessel under the command of Captain Korin working for the Sith Empire during the Great War. The _Bloody Hawk_ attacked small Republic supply ships under the direction of the Empire. After the end of the War, the _Bloody Hawk_ continued to attack Republic supply ships and even escalated to planetary attacks.

"Mandalorian Jäeger was dispatched to infiltrate the crew of the _Bloody Hawk_. Mission specifications were to wait until the pirates attack a Republic target again and then send in the Guardian CR-12 corvette designated _Crimson Blade_ commanded by Knight Mitch Blair.

"Mission was successful ending with the destruction of the _Bloody Hawk_ , termination of her crew, and recovery of twenty-five Ruusani civilians."

Katar paused to take a drink from his glass. He glanced up at me. "I will now take Jäeger's account of the mission." He gestured for me to start.

"I started my mission on Nar Shaddaa. The _Bloody Hawk_ was looking to take on crew. I offered my services under the guise of a Mandalorian mercenary looking for work. Captain Korin hired me on immediately. The _Bloody Hawk_ then moved through several systems along the Hutt-Republic border making sure to attack independent systems. I was involved in five different engagements across three systems and on two different cargo freighters. My rifle was set to stun to help reduce casualties," I explained.

"Elaborate on your assaults," Katar ordered.

"We invaded villages on Daalang, Nanth'ri, and Ruusan respectively. Between Nanth'ri and Ruusan we engaged a freelance freighter who was delivering glitter stim to Daalang. The land engagements ended in the _Bloody Hawk_ taking human cargo. After Daalang and Nanth'ri, we returned to Nar Shaddaa to sell the cargo. Captain Korin had made me "train" three different girls before we reach Nar Shaddaa. I hid them away in my quarters until the _Bloody Hawk_ made land and then Knight Tiberius Katar using credits from the mission funds bought the girls and took them to safety in the Republic.

"When the _Bloody Hawk_ attack Ruusan, I again was forced to take in a prisoner. Her name is May of the Clearwater Tribe. She remained sequestered in my quarters during the engagement against BlasTech security. Since the pirates had finally attacked a target under Republic protection, I called in reinforcements. With my cover blown, I engaged the pirates, grouped up with Omega Squad, and returned to the _Bloody Hawk_ to eliminate the crew and secure the human cargo.

"I returned to my quarters to acquire my kit to discover May had killed one of the pirates who had been harassing her since she was taking prisoner. I returned to fulfilling my mission. I managed to lock the flight crew in the bridge for a few minutes, long enough to help RC-1309 and RC-8015 secure the hostages. RC-1136 and RC-3222 secured a bomb in the engine room before helping secure the hostages in their shuttle. The pirates I had managed to lock in the bridge got loose and engaged us in the hanger bay.

"I personally killed Captain Korin as Omega Squad escaped the _Bloody Hawk_. I secured May in my fighter before evacuating the hanger bay just before the _Bloody Hawk_ exploded. Omega Squad and I regrouped with the _Crimson Blade_ before heading to Kashyyyk. Mission over."

Katar glanced over a datapad comparing my audio report to my written mission report. Seeming to be satisfied, he turned off the holorecorder. "How long do we have before we reach Coruscant?"

"Another hour. Are we done here?" I asked. Katar waved me away. I got up and headed to the freshers to clean up before meeting the Guardian Council. While the original Temple was still in ruins despite ongoing reclamation, the Order had set up a temporary base in the Senate building.

The door to the fresher hissed open to reveal May in nothing more than two towels; one wrapped around her body, the other wrapped around her hair. She blushed as she nearly walked into me. She stepped aside and wordlessly let me into the fresher. I was a little happy to see her moving about again. After we had gotten underway, May had sequestered herself away in the spare room of my ship and hadn't talked to anyone. I could tell she was grieving and trying to adjust to how things were now.

 _Hope she didn't use all the hot water_ I thought glancing at the steam still curling around the shower floor and at the condensation on the mirror above the sink. I stripped out of my black civvies and stepped into the shower. I moaned as the residual hot water sprayed my body before it quickly turned cold. I shivered and washed as quickly as possible before jumping out to avoid hypothermia.

 _Need to have a talk with that girl about proper shower edict if she's going to stay on my ship_ I thought miserably as I toweled off. Wrapping it around my waist, I gathered my old clothes and headed to my quarters. I changed into my Guardian Standard and headed to the bridge to wait for the ship to come out of hyperspace.

I disengaged the hyperdrive once we reached the Coruscanti system and coasted in on the sublight engines. I immediately got a hail from Space and Air Control once I entered Coruscant's orbit.

" _Valiant_ state your business," the controller demanded. Security was still really tight after the Sacking and TSA was really touchy.

"Guardian Knights Jäeger and Katar on Guardian business. Arriving from Kashyyyk," I stated.

"Give me a minute to confirm." The line was silent for a few minutes. "Alright, your flight plan checks out. Head to Bay Echo-17 on the north-side of the Senate Plaza."

"Rodger that Control. _Valiant_ out."

Control sent over directions to the landing bay. I plugged them into the navcomputer before diving into the Coruscanti atmosphere.

"Secure yourself. Entering atmosphere," I shouted back into the ship. "Katar get your _osik_ together, we are landing in twenty!" I leveled out the _Valiant_ once I got above the barely controlled chaos that was Coruscanti air traffic. I drifted through the skylanes barely avoiding a few taxis that flew worse than a drunk Rodian. I reduced speed and coasted into Bay E17. Docking the _Valiant_ , I shut down the sublight engines and headed back to the others. Katar was closing up his briefcase as May exited one of the spare room dressed in a black formfitting suit. She blushed as she teased her hair over her shoulder so it draped over her chest. Katar grabbed his briefcase before handing me a lightsaber hilt.

I looked at him like he was crazy.

Katar sighed. "I know you haven't worn one in _years_ but you are meeting the Council as a member of the Order. A lightsaber is a part of our uniform. Besides it would go a long way in soothing over relations with my Master."

"Your master can stick it," I growled. "I learned long ago that there is no pleasing that man when it comes to me." I still took the lightsaber. It was my father's when he was a member of the Order. I secured it on my left hip before leading the other two out of my ship. I tapped a few commands on my wrist computer and locked my ship.

"Alright, we have five minutes before we are to meet the Council and there are five floors and two wings between us so let's hustle," Katar stated as he checked his chrono. I sighed and took off at a quick pace.


	6. Down Time

"Knight Katar: preliminary report," Master Chratis ordered. The master sat at the head of a long wroshyr wood table. Katar and I were standing at the far end of the table waiting. Katar stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back.

"Operation Raider has been deemed a success. Asset codenamed Mandalorian infiltrated the pirate crew of the _Bloody Hawk_ under the command of Captain Korin and eliminated the threat. Mission was completed with limited Republican casualties," Katar explained.

"I expect a full mission report in three days," Master Chratis stated. Katar nodded and stepped back. Chratis turned his attention to me. "The Council has a new mission for you Mandalorian." He slid a datapad across the table. I stopped it with my fingertips and then picked up the datapad.

"Urgent Request," I muttered. I skimmed the report summarizing and highlighting the key points. "Assistance is requested on Alderaan. Civil war has broken out following the withdrawal of Imperial and Republic Forces. Following the death of Queen Panteer, House Organa and House Thul are pushing for the throne. House Organa requests the aid of the Republic to strengthen ties to lower houses." I glanced up at Chratis. "You want me to play diplomat? You do understand my form of diplomacy is shooting the offending _chakaar_ in the face?"

Chratis let out a long sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose. "You are being sent as a military advisor. You will assist the Organa's as they see fit. You are but the first of many people we will be sending to add them. Because Alderaan's crown is currently contested, whoever ends up on that throne will decide who Alderaan backs in the future. We need to ensure that a Republic-friendly House ascends the throne."

"Understood." I put down the datapad. "When do I leave?"

"As soon as you can. If you need to take a day or two to rest and resupply before leaving that is fine."

"Will I be accompanying the lieutenant on this mission?" Katar inquired.

"Yes and no. You will also be going to Alderaan but you will be working independently of Jäeger. If your interests coincide feel free to aid each other. Dismissed." Chratis stood and saluted us before we retreated from the room. May was leaning against the wall and lazily swinging her right leg. She looked up as we exited and straightened her suit.

"How'd it go?" May inquired.

"Lovely. Chratis actually kept from insulting my parentage for once," I smirked. Katar glared at me before addressing May. "We are being sent to Alderaan. Advising detail."

"Ooohh! I always wanted to go to Alderaan!" May beamed and clasped her hands together in excitement.

"Wish granted." I started down the hall back towards my ship.

"Jäeger!" I glanced over my shoulder at Katar. "Where are you going?"

"To get a drink. Master Chratis gave me leave remember."

Katar turned to May. "Stay close to him. Jäeger can handle himself but try to keep him out of trouble. And somewhat sober."

May nodded and then followed behind me as quickly as her heels allowed her.

Back at my ship, I changed into civvies: a pair of black pants, a tight grey shirt, and black leather jacket. I grabbed a belt holster and slipped my DL-21 into the holster and then clipped my nine-inch serrated knife on the opposite hip. I grabbed a fist-full of credits from my safe before heading back to the main body of the ship.

May was waiting for me.

She was back to wearing the plain white blouse and tan pants from when I first meet her. She had teased her long red hair into a loose ponytail with a few strands falling free and framing her face. I suddenly had the urge to kiss those pretty red lips of hers. I swallowed before fishing out the credits I had grabbed and pressing them into May's hand. She looked at them confused.

"You need some more clothes. I only had that suit because Circe forgot it here. Good thing you two have similar figures," I stated.

"Well, it was a little tight," May blushed. I blinked a few times before shaking my head. "Take the money and go buy yourself some clothes. I need to move the ship to public parking and then we can take a taxi to the nearest commercial district."

"Don't you want to help me shop?" May asked innocently. Images of her in the newest provocative fashions flitted through my head before I clamped down on it. I ran a hand through my hair and tried not to look at the soft pleading look May was giving me.

"Please? Someone needs to protect me in this big city," May stated.

"You owe me drinks afterwards," I pointed. May nodded and beamed. She followed me to the cockpit and sat down in the copilot's seat as I slowly started up the sublight engines. I slowly merged into traffic and coasted down several skylanes before landing on top of a public parking building. The attendant droid charged me extra for parking because the _Valiant_ was a slightly larger ship. I paid for the day, grabbed some more credits from my safe, locked up the ship, and lead May towards the nearest automated walkway.

The girl acted like she had never been on a city-planet before. Every neon sign and store front drew her attention. Her head was on a swivel as she tried to take in all the sights.

"I take it you've never been on a major planet before," I said as I pulled her away from the edge of the walkway. She had been staring down into the depth of Coruscant watching the many levels of traffic zip past.

"Actually I was born on Nar Shaddaa," May explained. "Dad was a simple business man and Mom helped him in the shop. We lived in a less seedy part of town so we avoided a lot of the gang fights and I was able to get a decent education." She lowered her voice. "The gangs didn't leave us completely alone so after one too many payment threats, Dad decided to sell the shop and move elsewhere. Mom had family on Ruusan so we decided to move in with them. I was sixteen when we moved. I learned to love nature. It was so much quieter than the big city and brought a peaceful feeling."

I grunted.

"What about you? I'm sure you've seen lots of exciting places."

"Yeah, there are very few planets I haven't gotten to yet, but few ever hold any interest to me," I muttered as I looked for the local shopping center. I knew there was one around here, but I hadn't been to Coruscant in a while.

"Lost?" May asked innocently.

"You're not lost until you're out of money and have no comlink signal," I muttered. May shook her head at my dad's old adage but followed after me as I headed to the right. A few blocks down the skylanes cleared up to reveal an open space and a large open multi-story shopping center.

"See. Told you I wasn't lost," I stated waving my hand towards the mall. May rolled her eyes but headed to the nearby mall directory. She browsed the list of clothing stores before picking one and heading into the controlled mayhem that is a shopping center. I followed closely behind her as we weaved our way through the crowds. She finally headed into a designer clothing store from Corellia that made me slightly cringe.

 _This woman is going to ruin me_ I thought. While money wasn't really a problem, I did realize nothing in this store was going to be cheap. May gleefully went towards the nearest rack of women's undergarments. I quickly glanced at the price tag for a rather plain white cotton bra and nearly gagged at the price. It was thirty credits for the damn thing!

"You have got to be kidding me," I growled.

"Were you expecting them to be cheap?" May asked innocently.

"Please tell me you don't plan on buying everything here," I pleaded. May scowled. "No. I understand common decency. These guys just happen to have some of the comfiest underwear in the galaxy. If society demands I wear these things, I want to be comfortable." I conceded the point.

"Don't worry. We'll get these and then move on to a cheaper store." May took a dozen or so bra and panties sets of various colors and designs. I couldn't help but notice a few were of a more _provocative_ design. She headed over to the counter and had the young Twi'lek behind the counter ring her up.

"That will be 560 credits," the Twi'lek said with a chipper grin. I glared at May to which she smiled teasingly. I handed the cashier a thousand denomination credit which she cashed out and gave me change. May was handed a black nondescript bag with her merchandise. She thanked the lady and headed to the next store. That one was thankfully a much more subdued store. May selected quite a few pairs of pants, skirts, shirts, blouses, peasant tops, a few more formal attire pieces, and a few dresses.

She still rang up a several hundred credit bill.

"Are we done?" I inquired as I carried May's multiple bags. She turned around, her hair fanning out behind her, and frowned.

"I didn't realize I was being such a burden," May snipped. I sighed and would have rubbed my head if my hands weren't full.

"No… You're not being a burden; I just didn't realize it would take so long."

May shook her head. "You must not go shopping with women much."

"Only ever my sister or mother and Mandalorian women have very different shopping interests," I explained. May conceded the point. A loud rumble emerged from May's belly causing her to blush profusely.

I chuckled. "Come on. Let's go get some food." May nodded and started to take off in a random direction. She stopped after a few steps and then turned right around.

"Um, do you know where the food court is?" May asked sheepishly. I couldn't help but laugh. May punched me in the shoulder before pouting. Shaking slightly at her childish actions, I motioned with my head for her to follow and headed down the long hall to the open air food court. The air was full of the scents of a thousand different cuisines all fighting for your attention. Cooks and cashiers were barking orders back and forth and dozens of people were talking up a storm in their own little groups and niches.

"What you want? Corellian? Alderaanian? I know of a place that sells good nerf steak," I suggested. May pondered the question and then in typical women fashion said, "Whatever you want is fine."

"Steak it is then," I muttered. I headed towards a little Corellian stand near the outer edge and got in line. Soon enough it was our turn.

"What can I get you?" asked the young and really bored looking young behind the counter.

"I'll have a quarter-pound steak medium rare," I stated. I glanced towards May and she started a little before adding, "Um, guess I'll have the roast beef with Swiss." The cashier rang them up.

"That'll be twenty-five credits." He looked up expectantly but at the same time bored. I glanced down and realized I couldn't get to my credits with my hands full of May's purchases.

"Here, let me," May said. She leaned in and slipped her hand into my right pocket and fished out some credits. I stiffened at her proximity and fought against several ingrained instincts to grab her hand and push her away. May handed the cashier the credits and he handed us an order number. May took it and slipped through the crowds to find an empty table not too far from the steakhouse.

I sighed as I finally got to set down the bags that had been cutting into my fingers and preventing the blood from circulating to them.

"I'll help carry the bags next time. Sorry about that," May stated sheepishly. I dismissed it and pulled an encrypted datapad out of my pocket. I quickly punched in my password and then let the datapad scan my thumbprint. It chimed and opened to my desktop. I smirked as I pulled up the latest Coronet financial report and saw that my stocks at BlasTech had gained some value. I accessed my personal transmissions but didn't see any overtly important messages.

"Anything interesting happening in the galaxy?" May asked.

"Nothing noteworthy. Just the usual inequality, brutality, and hardship that is daily life," I muttered. May frowned and looked away. I locked the datapad and looked at her. "Something I say offend you?"

"No, it's… I just don't like it when you talk like that," May whispered.

"What? You mean when I tell the truth?" I snipped.

"It's not the truth!" May snapped.

"For someone who grew up on Nar Shaddaa you are overtly naïve," I leaned back and noticed someone coming with our food. "I'll try to not be so callous in the future."

"Thanks," May smiled sadly. The waiter deposited our food and left with a smile. I frowned at the pathetic plastic knife and fork the steakhouse had provided. Putting them aside I pulled out my serrated combat knife. May's eyes went wide at the sight of it but I shot her a disarming smile. Holding the steak in place with a finger, I sliced it into half a dozen slices before spearing a slice with the end of my knife.

"Is it supposed to be bleeding like that?" May asked. I glanced at her and she was a little queasy.

"Technically no," I admitted. "When I said I wanted it medium rare, I only wanted it a little pink on the inside. While their steak is good, they always screw it up and I get a rather bloody steak." I stabbed another piece before eating. "Still good though."

May picked up her sandwich and took small conservative bites. I finished my steak long before she finished her sandwich. I returned the tray before taking half of the bags while May took the rest. I lead the way back to the ship, slowly weaving my way through the crowded streets. I unlocked the _Valiant_ and we stashed May's bags.

"Alright. I need a drink," I muttered. It was getting late in the day and the bars would be open by now. "You can stay here and get yourself situated if you'd like."

"Knight Katar did ask me to watch you and keep you kind of sober," May muttered.

"Up to you. I'm leaving." I waved over my shoulder. May gasped and followed after me. I locked back up the _Valiant_ before heading down the walkways to a seedier section of Coruscant. I found a random bar and stepped inside. The place smelled of stale beer, piss, smoke, and recently fired blaster. A Nikto stood behind the bar counter cleaning a glass while a Rodian, Twi'lek, and human sat at the bar. A few shadowy figures could be seen in the booths. I pointed May towards one of the empty booths and then grabbed a drink of _tihaar_ and some water.

"Scoot," I ordered when I got to the booth. May looked at me confused until I nearly sat on her and she moved right over.

"What's your deal?" she hissed as I slide her water over. I stared her in the eye for a second before answering in a low whisper. "I am protecting you. Now sit in your corner quietly." May glared at me before making a noise of disgust, crossing her arms, and sulking in the corner. I slammed down my _tihaar_ before signaling for a second. The Nikto poured a second drink before passing it to a servant droid who wheeled over. I swapped the glasses wordlessly and slammed it again.

The droid returned before I could even raise my fingers.

I glanced at the bartender but he was busy with the Rodian. I swapped the glasses again but nursed this one.

"I need to use the restroom," May stated, a slight note of annoyance in her voice. I glanced around before getting up to let her out.

"What me to follow?" I asked.

"I think I can handle it myself." The annoyance was getting more prominent.

"You don't have the best track record with bathrooms," I teased. May glared at me before taking off in a huff. I shrugged it off and returned to my _tihaar_. I closed my eyes and let the soothing burn of alcohol wash over me. May returned soon enough but she sat on the other side of the booth from me.

It was a subtle hint; but one I understood.

 _Stop babying me._

I finished my glass before paying and heading back for the ship, May in tow.


	7. Alderaanian Affairs

The _Valiant_ came out of hyperspace above the green and blue marble that was Alderaan. A very mountainous planet spotted with thick forests and plains, Alderaan had receded from the Republic after Coruscant had fallen to the Empire. Unfortunately, that hadn't been a popular opinion amongst the noble houses and Crown Prince Panteer had been assassinated. His mother had died soon after; a broken heart. Now the noble houses were fighting for control of the throne.

I cleared with Ground Control and headed Apalis Coast. I was directed towards the Organa's estate, their personal landing field. I set down my warship next to a very expensive yacht. I powered down the _Valiant_ 's sublight engines and headed to the back. May was still asleep. We had left Coruscant at a very early hour and it was still only mid-morning here on Alderaan. I had allowed May to sleep during the trip over. Now it was time to kick her out of bed.

I stood in the doorway of the guest chamber awestruck of her prone form. She had curled up on the mattress in her sleep and her long red hair had pooled around her. Her soft face looked so peaceful; a sleeping angel.

As beautiful as she was, I was still going to screw with her.

I squatted down next to the cot and drew a deep breath.

"Atten-SHUN!"

May shrieked at the sudden and loud noise right next to her face. She flailed wildly, becoming entangled in the sheets, and collided with the bulkhead.

"Bastard!" May shrieked indignantly. She broke free of the sheets and pounded her fists against my chest. They hurt, but more in an amusing way than actual pain. I wrapped my hands around hers, my massive ones encapsulating her small ones, and pinned them against my chest. May glared at me and pouted, her lower lip protruding so adorably. The sheet pooled around her waist revealing the dark green cami that matched her eyes and hinted at the white shorts she wore.

Again I felt the urge to kiss her.

I released her and stood, shaking the uncharacteristic thoughts from my head.

"We've arrived on Alderaan. Be happy I let you sleep in. I could have made you get up at oh-five-thirty," I smirked. May stopped glaring and sat on the edge of the cot. She stretched and brushed her unruly hair from her face.

"Get dressed and get ready to move." I headed to my chamber and changed into my black _beskar'gam_. I slapped my MA5 onto my back, the magnetic clips holding it there. I holstered my DL-21 on my right hip and my combat knife on my left thigh. I secured some extra ammo clips on my belt and then walked out to the living quarters of the _Valiant_. May was teasing her hair out from under her jacket and letting it fall down her back. She was dressed in black formfitting pants and a dark red blouse. A black jacket finished it.

"Do I really have to go with you?" May asked. "Katar said this was a military mission. I'm not military. I have no training. What help could I be?"

"You're going to be my eyes and ears in House Organa. I will be in the field mostly; I need you to inform me on the going ons of the house."

"You want me to spy on the people we're supposed to be helping?"

"Today's ally can be tomorrows enemy. Plus, I don't trust nobility to begin with. Like the Sith, they are always plotting. Plots within plots and little grunts like me often get jerked around dancing to our master's tune only to end up the fall guy in the end." I opened the door to the _Valiant_ and stepped out into the warm morning air.

"What happened to you to make you so jaded?" May whispered.

"The galaxy."

I locked up the _Valiant_ and we headed towards Castle Organa. The estate was massive with towering spires and large statues of long dead Alderaanians guarded each side of entrances. Two Alderaanian soldiers guarded the entrance to the mansion; they wore grey clothing with hardened plates covering their chests, forearms, and calves. On their shoulder was the emblem of House Organa. Upon seeing a proverbial Angel of Death approaching their doors, they immediately raised their rifles and trained them on me.

"Halt Imperial dog!" the left soldier barked.

"You are under arrest for war crimes against Alderaan and her people!" the right soldier yelled.

"Hands above your head! Do not move!" the left soldier slowly moved towards me, his rifle remaining trained on my head. He was three feet from me when suddenly his rifle went from me to something behind me.

May must have made a move.

Immediately I put myself between them.

"Hey, focus on me; not her. I'm the threat; she's just a civilian."

"Jäeger, just tell them why we're here," May whispered behind me. I could hear the hint of fear in her voice.

"What she talking about?" the soldier demanded.

"My name is Jäeger. I am a Lieutenant in the Republic Military; A Guardian. I am here on official business."

"And why should we believe you?" The soldier asked again.

"Weren't you guys informed I was coming?" I groaned.

"No. Now hand over your weapons and come with us," the man placed the barrel of his gun against my T-visor so I was forced to stare down the barrel of his rifle.

"May, please give the nice man my rifle, pistol, and knife."

"Slowly," the soldier snapped. May gulped and I felt her remove my rifle from my back. She gingerly handed the rifle to the Alderaanian soldier before unholstering my DL and then my knife. The soldier took them and stuck the pistol and knife into his belt before cradling my rifle in his elbow.

"Move." The soldier gestured towards the door. I slowly headed forward, my hands on my head. As we passed his friend, he ordered, "Stay here and remain on guard." The second guard nodded and opened the door for us. The first shoved me down the hall, May in front.

"So what's your name soldier?" I asked lightly.

"Corporal Hill, not that it matters to you scum," Hill snipped. He was a shorter man with a round face and huskier build. He had sharp eyes that darted around and he had a pompous air about him.

Corporal Hill guided us down the long halls of Castle Organa; all which were filled with expensive portraits, statues, ceramics, busts, all kinds of art. We passed several servants, none meet our eyes and did their best to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Eventually we found ourselves in a meeting room. A man of average height stood amongst several advisors. He had black hair and brown eyes with tanned skin. He wore brown robes with a golden sash across his chest. A grey scarf wrapped around his neck. He had a thin mustache and spoke with a commanding voice.

"Sir, sorry to interrupt, but this Imperial just tried to walk up the front gate. What do you want me to do with him?" Hill interjected.

The advisors turned around and the man in the middle, who I assumed was Duke Charle Organa, frowned. Then my saving grace spoke up.

"Damnit Jäeger, how many times do I have to tell you to _not_ wear your _beskar_ when you show up for official Guardian business." Katar emerged from the crowd with an exasperated look. "Stand down soldier. The dumbass in black is one of ours."

Corporal Hill growled but returned my weapons to me. Duke Organa dismissed the corporal. I slapped my rifle onto my back before holstering and sheathing my other weapons.

"Sorry for the rude introduction to House Organa," Duke Organa stated. "My men are a little high strung after the war and with how things are currently. Things are even worse because I already have reports of the Thul making moves against us."

"That's why I am here," I stated. "I am a weapon; point me in the right direction and let me unleash Hell."

Duke Organa looked a little taken aback by my blunt tone and gestured towards Katar. "Your handler already has the briefing. I'll let him fill you in. I have a House to run after all."

I nodded and Katar took me aside. May hovered close by.

"So what's the job?" I asked professionally.

"The Thul abducted a lesser noble house's daughter early this morning. They haven't made contact with us yet, but the day's still young," Katar stated.

"Then how do we know it was the Thul that did this? Not one of the other squabbling nobles?" I asked.

"They left a piece of cloth with their emblem on it. All we have to go on," Katar explained. "Now the noble they abducted is Serah Kallis of House Kallis. While they aren't one of the major players, House Kallis has some deep pockets thanks to mining. Duke Organa is thinking the Thul want the Kallis to back them financially, while House Organa would like the same.

"Once we have more specific details, you will be sent in to retrieve the poor girl. Doing so should persuade House Kallis to side and back House Organa, which will give them a little extra pulling power."

"Quick and dirty or stealthy?"

"To be determined."

"Do you even know where she is?

"We were hoping to track the signal when the kidnappers call," Katar shrugged.

"That doesn't leave me much time to find the bastards now does it," I growled.

"You've always found a way Mandalorian," Katar smirked. He turned towards May. "Do you mind if I borrow her as an assistant here? The duke has decided I am to provide tactical assistance and have a more behind the scenes role. Like you said, you're the weapon, you'll be the one in the field. I'd like May to help me with the extra paperwork."

I turned to her and May nodded. "It puts me where I need to be." Katar looked at her with a slight confused look but dismissed it with a shake of his head.

"I'll arrange for some rooms to be set aside for you," Katar stated as he headed out into the main hall.

"I think I'll just stay in my ship," I called out.

* * *

I froze as I saw an old frigate descend from orbit. Its hull scored from dozens of battles, asteroid strikes, and dangerous reentry burns. New sheets of durasteel could be seen haphazardly bolted and welded onto the hull at various intervals; signs of emergency repairs. I glanced towards Mother and Father, matching looks of shock and confusion cover their faces.

The frigate set down on the edge of the village kicking of storm clouds worth of dust. Mother gestured me back towards the house; to hide. I slowly made my way back to the house as other members of the village came out, curious as to what had befallen our village. Figures could be seen emerging from the dust.

Armed figures.

They gave no warning; no calls for surrender.

The air filled with deadly light and the screams of dying villagers. One of the houses caught fire throwing smoke and flames into the air. It caught its neighbors on fire forcing the inhabitants out into the deadly center of the village.

I laid there in the alcove of the doorway, my legs having given out as my mind failed to grasp the horrors before it. I watched numbly as friends and neighbors were killed, beaten, and taken hostage. I watched as the elderly couple who had watched me play when my parents had been busy in the field get gunned down ruthlessly.

I turned to see Father try and fight off one of the invaders as he tried to force my mother towards the ship. The invader backhanded Father away before going to shot him. Mother jumped on his back, tried to save Father. The invader shook her off just as Father attacked again. The man fired wildly and I saw Father crumple. Mother's screams filled the air and she attacked the man with reckless abandon.

He was forced to kill her as well.

Heart-wrenching screaming filled the air; the screams of complete loss.

I realized it was coming from me.

The man turned and headed towards me. A vicious sneer was plastered on his scarred face as he grabbed me and roughly dragged me kicking and screaming towards the ship. He dragged me past my parent's body, their blood pooling around each other. The scared dead looks on their face were permanently etched into my mind.

* * *

I awoke in a cold sweat. I struggled to escape the confines of the comforter; struggled to remember where I was. I wasn't assaulted by the smell of gun oil, sweat, and alcohol when I awoke. Instead I was graced by vanilla and cinnamon. The calming scent was jarring after my nightmare.

I shuddered as I brushed my hair back from my face. That nightmare was a reoccurring one. That and another; one where dark shadows clawed at me, chased me, tried to drag me down. To make it worse, I recognize the man who had killed my parents and dragged me off.

It was Krillan.

It didn't settle the ache in my heart though at having inadvertently avenged their deaths by killing the rapist bastard when he had come for me. Killing him wouldn't bring my parents back; even if his death had been deserved.

I got up and trudged to the bathroom. I gripped the porcelain sink trying to shake off the last vestiges of sleep. I splashed cold water in my face, the brisk shock snapping me awake. I fixed my hair, struggling to get my unruly red locks straightened. I frowned at the dark rings under my eyes. I grabbed my makeup bag and started to apply a little concealer to help hide the signs of my fitful nights.

A soft knock at the door drew my attention away from my task. I quickly finished, brushing on a quick layer of blush before answering the door. A maid was standing there in a powder blue dress and white apron. She had long blonde hair, soft blue eyes, and slender figure.

"Good morning milady. Knight Katar has requested your presence in the meeting room," the girl said, her voice betraying her youth. She couldn't have been more than fifteen. "I can help you get dressed if you'd like."

"No, I'm fine." I turned and headed to the dresser where I had stashed my clothes. "You can sit and wait if you'd like. I still get a little lost in this place." We had transferred to House Kallis last night to advise them for the duration of the kidnapping. Katar and Jäeger hoped to resolve it quickly. The maid smiled knowingly and sat down on a small chair. I quickly changed into a pair of black formfitting pants and a matching sweater. I straightened my outfit and followed the young maid to the meeting room. Calling it a meeting room, though was a misnomer. The room had a large holotable, several banks of computers that connect to holomaps, and a few communication stations. Technicians milled about, moving troop icons and chatting with soldiers in the field. Knight Katar was with several of the Kallis advisors. Count Kallis and Jäeger were nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, Miss Clearwater, you're here. Take a seat and get that comlink set up. You are going to be my direct line to Knight Jäeger. I feel like the man will respond to orders better if they come from you. I'll be too busy dealing with House Thul's negotiator to deal with his attitude." Katar directed me towards a small computer bank. A technician nearby helped me set it up and gave me a quick lesson on how to use it. He also told me that the side terminal was linked to Jäeger's ship and would let me view what he does.

"This dial fine-tunes the frequency and this button puts the conversation on speaker so everyone can hear. This terminal allows you to interact in real time with the data Jäeger has. Got it?" the technician asked.

"I think so." I slipped the headset over my head so it rested on my neck. Katar slipped me a slip of flimsi and it had a comlink frequency on it. "Punch in the code and link to Jäeger. He doesn't need to answer right away." I punched in the code and slipped on the headset. I heard a light buzzing tone before the voicemail picked up.

"This is Mandalorian Jäeger. If you wish to hire my services leave a message detailing the job. Otherwise piss off."

 _Real nice there Jäeger_. I shook my head in disbelief. I let the line die and looked to Katar. He was busy with the advisors so I sat and wait for my turn.

Eventually the main communication network lit up and Katar turned on the holo-communicator. The blue translucent image of a stout man hovered over the table.

"House Kallis, I am Earl Grel. I have been tasked with negotiating the return of Lady Serah Kallis. Cooperate nicely and the girl won't be harmed. To whom am I speaking?"

"Knight Katar of the Guardian Order. I am head negotiator. What are your demands?" Katar muted himself and turned to a technician. "Get a trace running on that signal immediately." He glanced at me. "Get Jäeger ready to deploy." I nodded and redialed his comm-line. I got his voicemail again. I kept trying the line until he finally picked up.

"Who is this?" Jäeger growled.

"It's May. We've been contacted by House Thul. Katar wants you to get ready to move."

"What? I'm in the middle of my work out."

"I'm sorry, but you need to suit up."

"I know. Just griping." Silence. Swallowing. A sigh. "I'll call you back from my suit comlink."

"Understood."

The link cutout. I turned to Katar. "Jaeger is suiting up. He should be ready to move in a few minutes."

"I want confirmation that Countess Kallis is still alive and well," Katar stated firmly. "Then I'll hear your demands."

"Understandable." Earl Grel motioned off-screen and a young maiden came into view. Her dress was torn along the left sleeve and the bottom of her dress was ragged. Her left cheek was puffy as if she'd been struck. "See: still alive, even if a little worse for wear."

"Get your hands off me!" Serah shrieked fighting her captor. Grel motioned with his chin and a soldier dragged Serah out of frame.

"Now, our demands are rather simple. Serah Kallis will marry my son Richard and House Kallis will help fund House Thul. House Thul promises to give House Kallis more land and a better title when they come into power," Earl Grel explained. "House Kallis will stop all communication with House Organa and withdraw their support immediately."

"You're asking a lot. House Organa and House Kallis have history. It won't be easy for me to persuade the count to switch sides," Katar said empathetically.

"Well he better or his daughter's welfare will be the least of his worries. The Count has two hours to decide."

The transmission cut out abruptly.

"Tell me you have them," Katar breathed.

"Transmission wasn't long enough to get an exact location. But we did manage to narrow it down to a hundred-and-fifty-mile radius. Pulling up geographical data now." A technician tapped away at a few keys before a large holomap floated above the table. It showed an open plain that met a low mountain range. A small group of structures were nestled at the foot of the mountain. An estate consisting of a half-dozen moderately sized homes.

"That's the only building within the search radius?" Katar asked.

"Conveniently, yes," the technician said.

Suddenly my comm station started to emit a tone. I quickly answered the incoming transmission.

"Jäeger ready to mobilize."

"Understood." I turned to Katar who looked expectantly. "Jäeger is ready to go." Katar nodded and said, "Send these coordinates to the _Valiant_." He rested his palms on the edge of the holotable, the blue light coating his face. "Somebody get me the count. We need to discuss things."

"Jäeger, you should have received some coordinates for the mission," I stated trying to be of use.

"Yep. Coming through now." I heard a bit of background noise as he shifted about. If I focused I could make out the hum of the _Valiant's_ sublight engines as they powered up. "Tell Katar I am airborne and enroute. ETA: fifteen minutes."

"Understood." I adjusted the headset and looked at Katar. "Jäeger says he's on his way. ETA: fifteen minutes."

"Good. Keep that line open. Someone find me schematics on that estate and feed them to Jäeger. The more he has to work with the better."

I sat silently, biting my lip as the others got to work. I felt kind of useless right now, a watcher more than anything. I was a foreigner in a world I had no right to be in.

 _Then why are you here?_

Because of Jäeger.

Despite his rough edges, his overprotectiveness, he was… interesting. There was a darkness to him; an aura of danger and death that clung to him like a second skin. The entire time we had been running for our lives in the pirate ship though, I hadn't been really afraid though. Yeah, there had been moments where I was terrified out of my mind, but when my Mandalorian protector had been near, I had felt calm, safe.

I missed his presence right now. Around him I kind of felt like I belong even if I was the complete opposite of him.

"Ms. Clearwater, I'm sending the data Knight Katar requested to Lieutenant Jäeger," a technician informed me. I nodded and pulled up the data on the terminal next to me. I tapped a button on the screen and pulled up the ground floor schematics for the main home. It had a dozen rooms and a few corridors.

"Jäeger, you should have the building schematics for the estate you are headed towards," I added.

"Look for weak points, places that could be possible ambushes, highlight areas that could be potential kill zones," Jäeger instructed. "I'm about to do a flyover of the estate. I'll relay thermal scans and infrared data to you soon."

"Sir! Jäeger's transponder just dropped off the map!"

I looked over to see a technician punching away frantically at her console to find the _Valiant_.

"Calm down; I'm sure the lieutenant engaged his Stealth Drive. He's invisible to us," Katar stated. He glanced at me for confirmation.

"Jäeger, we lost you on radar," I informed him as I glanced over the schematics.

"Sorry 'bout that. Stealth Drive is engaged." Pause. "Flying over the estate now; sending scan data."

I heard a _ping_ as the terminal updated. I opened the scan files that Jäeger had collected. I had to resize the initial schematics to fit Jäeger's new data. There were collections of bodies in a few rooms on the second and first floors of the main building.

"I have a few hot spots. Main room on the first floor, the hallway and stairs on the second floor, and what I think is the master bedroom." I circled the areas on the schematics. I heard Jäeger move on the other end.

"Talk to me May," Katar barked.

"Um…"

"Looks like the guest room is unoccupied," Jäeger mused in my ear. Slip in through the roof, few well-placed grenades in the master chamber, and I should be right out."

"May!"

I turned and saw that the count was standing next to Katar, a pinched worried expression on his gaunt face. He was a thin wisp of a man, drowning in his long flowing robes.

"What. Is. Jäeger. Doing?" Katar asked with deliberate slowness.

"He's hovering over the estate. He should be ready to go soon," I stated sheepishly. I could feel heat rising to my cheeks. I cupped the mike and whispered harshly into it. "Jäeger, Katar is getting antsy. He wants to know what you're doing."

"The _Valiant_ is hovering above the estate. It won't be long before I'm spotted; she's only invisible to radar. Repelling down to the roof now." I relayed the information to Katar and he seemed to relax a little. He turned to the count. "Don't worry sir, we'll have your daughter back soon."

"Good. I can't stand the thought of my dear Serah marrying a Grel." The count was wringing his hands nervously.

"Going in."

I listened intently as Jäeger grunted slightly. His even breathing filled my ear. It quickened for a few seconds before his voice broke the silence.

"Miss Kallis, I'm here to rescue you. My name is Lieutenant Jäeger of the Guardian Order. Stay behind me and I swear I will get you out safely."

I didn't hear the countess's response. Jäeger's breathing picked up again for a few seconds before more silence.

"Hold on," Jäeger stated softly. A few more seconds' silence before Jäeger stated more loudly, "HVT secured. Returning to base."

"Understood." I lowered the headset and glanced at Katar. I mouthed 'HVT?' at him in question. 'High Value Target' mouthed back. I nodded in understanding before saying, "Jäeger says he's got the countess. They are headed home."

"Oh thank the Force," Count Kallis breathed.


	8. Alderaanian Affairs Pt 2

I repelled down to the roof of the estate. It was simple asphalt shingling. I drew my lightsaber and cut a hole through the roof. I dropped down, a slight grunt escaping my lips as I hit the floor. I edged up against the inner wall next to the door. I checked my motion sensor and my Force senses to check for enemy targets. Sensing no one, I edged open the door, thankful that the doors opened silently.

I moved silently despite my heavy armor and pressed against the wall next to the door to the master bedroom. I heard indiscernible voices on the other side of the door. I slipped my DC-17 onto my back and grabbed a concussion and flashbang grenades off my belt. I quietly edged the door open and rolled them in. They detonated with a loud bang, my helmet's soundproofing kicking in to protect my ears from the noise. I drew my MG6 and kicked the door open. Four armed guards stood around the countess. They wore no common livery; mercenaries. Serah was tied to a chair, tears staining her bruised cheek. The others were whipping at their eyes and hunched over. I fired a quick session of shots into the guards killing them all.

Holstering my sidearm, I pulled my knife and cut the countess free.

"Miss Kallis, I'm here to rescue you. My name is Lieutenant Jäeger of the Guardian Order. Stay behind me and I swear I will get you out safely."

"I can't hear you," Serah yelled in my face. She had chestnut brown hair and soft brown eyes. Her face was round and attractive but otherwise, she was plain. I frowned as my motion sensor and Force senses detected enemy movement. I held a finger in front of my helmet in the universal sign to keep quiet. I motioned for her to stay put as I grabbed my MA5D from my back. I heard footsteps barreling up the stairs. I burst out into the hallway and obliterated the three that had come up the stairs.

I swapped clips as four more came up the stairs. They were slightly smarter and a barrage of laser rounds filled the hallway. I heard a _clink_ as a grenade bounced next to me.

 _Really?_ I thought, eyebrow arched. I raised my rifle so I could flick my left wrist at the grenade. It flew back towards the guards and detonated. I used a Force Shield to prevent shrapnel and shockwaves from hitting me. The men tried to run back down the stairs but the grenade detonated before they could move and killed two of them, wounding the others. I slowly moved down the hall to dispatch the survivors.

I returned to the countess and gestured for her to follow me. We returned to the guest room where I had left my repelling rope. I secured the rope to my belt and then wrapped my arm around Serah.

"Hold on," I ordered, before activating the winch to pull us back up. Once securely in my ship, I commed May.

"HVT Secured. Returning to base," I stated.

"Understood."

I set the autopilot to return us to House Kallis before attending to Serah. I grabbed a medkit and got out the bacta spray. I applied it to her cheek and ears. Serah hissed in pain but otherwise didn't complain.

"Sit tight; I'll have you home in just a few minutes." Serah nodded and whispered a soft thank you. I returned to the cockpit as we neared House Kallis and manually set down the _Valiant_.

* * *

Count Kallis was ecstatic to see his little girl again. He held her and they cried in joy as Katar and his men set about removing their equipment. Jäeger was standing in the corner waiting for his next orders, his helmet clipped to his belt; it reminded me of my uncle's old hunting dog. It would sleep in the corner all the time unless my uncle needed it out hunting. Then it was a blur of energy.

"Ms. Clearwater, I'd like your report by noon tomorrow," Katar stated as he passed by with a hovercart full of electronics. He set it by the door and then set about securing datapads in a briefcase.

"Report?" I asked confused. Jäeger chuckled. "For every mission, you participate in you have to write up a report, no matter how small."

I sighed and glared as Jäeger chuckled at my misery. I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed louder before walking away, hands behind his head.

"Why do I have to fill out a report? I'm not even military," I whined.

"Don't worry, miss, I'll help you with your report," the technician who'd helped me earlier stated. I had learned his name was Kaizen and he worked for the Alderaanian military.

"You signed up for this Ms. Clearwater when you decided to follow after Jäeger. You are now a civilian contractor for the military in my eyes. Therefore, you work for me and have to play by my rules," Katar stated calmly as he snapped shut the briefcase. "Don't worry; you will be paid for your services."

I pouted before brushing my hair back with both hands. I squared my shoulders and set to pushing the hovercart down the corridor to the back door and thus the landing zone where _Valiant_ was stationed. I pushed it up the ramp where Jäeger secured it in the living quarter. Katar followed after with another hovercart of electronics, his briefcase sitting on top.

"Prep for launch; we're heading back to House Organa," Katar ordered. He headed to the cockpit and I could hear the startup of the sublight engine. Jäeger stiffened and I saw him glare in the direction of the cockpit.

" _Di'kut_ needs to learn to not touch my ship," Jäeger growled under his breath. He strapped down the last hovercart and headed for the cockpit. I heard a bit of a scuffle and then Katar was shoved forcibly from the room. He snarled back in Jäeger's direction as he straightened his uniform. He took a seat at the table near the kitchenette. I shook my head at the display and sat across from Katar.


	9. Alderaanian Affairs Pt 3

I flicked through the different filters of my SRS-99 AM. I slowly increased the zoom and put on the thermal scan. My world turned into shades of white, black, and grey. Small white spots filled my scope; nothing more than local fauna.

"Patrol is moving up the valley now," May's voice filled my ear. My lip involuntarily curled hearing her voice. The girl didn't bother me; hell, she added a little excitement to my boring life. No, what bothered me about hearing her right now was the fact that she was a thousand meters up the valley right now. The girl had no right being in the field but Katar had been insistent on her getting field experience.

I didn't see why.

The mission was simple. Thul soldiers coupled with mercenaries had shored up a major supply route for House Organa. High-altitude scans of the area had shown the soldiers regularly patrolled the area. Normally foot soldiers couldn't interrupt a supply route like this but the valley was too narrow for aerial transport so it had to be moved by land-based cargo vehicles. The soldiers reportedly were heavily armed. I was tasked with taking them out as quickly as possible. Katar had suggested a sniper team could do the job.

So here I was lying half-buried in the mud and leaf debris. May was acting as my lookout; her job to inform me of when the patrol was coming. She had been outfitted with light armor that was painted a drab green to help her blend in. It did a good job of keeping her hidden as well as my expert opinion and help. I just pray that her fear kept her still enough to keep from being spotted.

The patrol came into view and I switched to normal optical viewing. A dozen men wearing Thul livery and four more wearing standard durasteel armor. I mentally checked how many magazines of ammo I had brought and decided I would have enough. 14.5x114mm high-powered rounds that could penetrate light tank armor; four rounds a standard clip, but I cheat. I had six rounds a mag.

"When the shooting starts, stay hidden. I will come to you when this is over," I stated calmly.

"Un… understood," May gulped. Yep, plenty terrified.

"Close your eyes," I whispered. I lined up the first shot and slowly squeezed the trigger. I felt the satisfying kick of the recoil, barely registered the casing eject, and was moving on to the next target before the first had dropped. I fired twice more before the patrol reacted.

I have to give the mercenaries props for not breaking and running. Like the remaining Thul, they ducked under whatever cover they could find. Unfortunately, all they had was a few small boulders and bushes. The soldiers were sitting ducks in this valley.

They frantically swept their rifles around looking for the source of the shots. I lined up my reticle on the last Thul with a rocket launcher. They were the danger; long-range and capable of carrying multiple rockets per cartridge they could blow my position to Hell. I had managed to kill three of rocketeers with the first volley; Number Four was hiding rather well behind a boulder. I could just barely make out the top of his helmet. Not enough for a kill shot.

"May, feed me your tactical feed," I ordered.

"Oh… okay. Um… how do I do that?" May replied.

"Just hit the green button on the field scope," I instructed. A screen came to life in the top right corner of my HUD and it showed a view of the enemy from behind. I frowned as I saw the rocketeer load a cartridge. I switched focuses just as the barrel emerged from cover. I stiffened as the feed from May shifted slightly and the rocketeer's head snapped in May's direction.

"May move now!" I barked. Her feed went sporadic as she got up and ran through the trees. The rocketeer let a rocket fly. It detonated, lighting the forest with orange fire. May screamed and the field scope hit the ground. The lens was pointed slightly skyward and I could see May running for her life. The Thul soldiers unleashed a torrent of death into the trees, shredding the foliage and causing the fire to spread further.

"May drop!" I ordered. On the edge of the scope's view range, I saw her drab green form fall face first to the ground. I fired three more shots through the bushes, each bullet finding a helmet and killing its target. The firing stopped and the men swept their rifles in my direction. I slowly reloaded my SRS-99 without taking my eye from the scope.

"Status report," I stated calmly. The rocketeer peeked out from behind his boulder and fired a round in my direction. It roared through the air before exploding ten meters to my left. I squeezed the trigger and his head snapped before he could get off a third shot.

"My arm hurts. Everything hurts," May whimpered.

"Stay down. I'll be there soon."

 _Seven down, nine more to go._

A _di'kutla_ mercenary grabbed the rocket launcher from the dead Thul soldier. He fired the third missile in the cartridge and it flew right over my head, exploding behind me.

 _Fierfek, that was close._ I squeezed the trigger quickly and put a round right between his eyes. I panned left and killed another Thul right through the bush he was hiding in.

That finally broke somebody.

The last mercenary broke cover and ran screaming back up the valley. I put him down before he got far.

 _Six_. I frowned as the Thul soldiers turned towards me from behind their cover and started to fire blindly in my directions. I growled as I realized that they had finally managed to locate me. Thankfully, they weren't bright enough to reach for the rocket launcher while I was taking fire. While the majority of their shots impacted into the trees and flora, a few hit my armor knocking me off target. I focused on them, centering myself in the Force, and fired a quick session of rounds emptying the clip.

I reloaded and the last four used that time to run like scared little children. I sighed and fired again, putting an end to the exchange. In total, it had lasted twenty minutes. I got up, secured the rifle on my back, policed my brass and spent clips, and switched to my MG6 sidearm.

"Heading your way," I ordered.

"Okay," May groaned.

 _Note to self: Ring Katar's neck when we get back to base._

I moved through the forest at a steady clip. Smoke filtered through the trees, but it was dying down quickly. I found her leaning up against a tree, her helmet lying next to her. Her red hair was messily pooling around her and a slight grimace of pain was plastered on her face. She was cradling her right arm to her chest.

I knelt beside her and dug out the small pack of bacta spray and gauze I kept in my belt at all times. "What hurts the most?" I asked calmly.

"I think my arm. I don't know, everything's kind of numb now." Her speech was a little slurred. Her head dipped a little and her arm slumped.

That's when I saw the blood.

A piece of shrapnel had pierced May's side between the gaps in her armor. Her side was slick with blood.

" _Fierfek!_ " I snarled. I quickly removed the armor plate that had proven worthless and ripped May's shirt away from the wound. The shrapnel looked shallow, but it had nicked something important because May's side was covered in blood. I carefully removed the shrapnel and pressed a piece of gauze to her side. I dug into my belt again and dug out some biofoam. I rarely used the stuff but it helped in situations like this. I removed the gauze and sprayed the biofoam into May's wound. It would help seal up the wound and prevent septicemia. I wrapped the wound with gauze and then replaced the armor plate.

I pulled out a single use syringe and stabbed it into her leg. It contained a blood-loss control agent to help the biofoam do its job. I checked May's pulse and thought it was rapid, it was steady. I stood up and opened a link to command.

"Mando to Central Command; Come in Central Command," I stated calmly, despite the panic that was actually running through me.

"Kaizen here."

"Send a drop ship. I am in need of emergency evac," I stated.

"You're hurt?" Kaizen asked shocked.

"Not me." I took a deep breath. "Please, just send a medic."

"They are on their way." Pause. "Sir, Katar is wondering about the status of your mission."

"Mission completed. The valley is back in Organa hands."

"Understood. Medivac is ten minutes out."

I disconnected the link before turning back to May. "Don't worry _ad'ika_ ; the cavalry is on its way."

* * *

Katar was waiting for us at the landing pad.

My vision went red as I jumped off the shuttle. I charged at him and Katar's eyes went wide as I threw a right hook. It caught him square on the side of the head; hard _beskar'gam_ against soft bone. Katar staggered back, blood trickling from his temple before I grabbed him and slammed him into a light pole.

" _Di'kulta chakaar!_ " I snarled. "She could have been killed because of you!" I gripped the collar of his armor tight and slammed him against the pole again. "May had no right being out there! Now because of you, she got hurt!" I cocked back my fist to slug him again.

"Jäeger…" A soft weak voice stopped me from punching Katar in the face. I glanced back and saw May was awake as they pushed her past on the stretcher. The medic stopped briefly for May to weakly reach towards me. I grabbed her hand in both of mine. It looked tiny in the grip of my _beskar_ -clad hands.

"It's not Katar's fault. I wanted to go. I wanted to be of some help, "May whispered.

" _Fierfek_ , May," I hissed. "You didn't have to do this." May gave me a sad smile before whispering, "Sorry I was a burden." She slipped back into unconsciousness, those few words draining her of energy.

"You weren't a burden, _ad'ika_ ," I whispered as the medic carted her off to the medbay.

"I'll overlook that act of insubordination given how well you did out there," Katar stated in an even tone. "Things are heating up here, but the Council says it's got something planned for us. We're being recalled to Coruscant."

"When?"

"They want us back as soon as possible, but I can delay it if you want," Katar stated diplomatically.

"You know Katar, for a real _chakaar_ , you can be a _vod_ when you want to."

I took off at a brisk jog, leaving Katar speechless behind me.

* * *

Everything was fuzzy when I came to. Soft white lights filled my vision coupled with pale blue curtains. A soft steady beeping filled my ears. Then the heavy _thump_ of boots entered the room. I flopped my neck over and a black armored figure filled my view.

"How are you feeling?" Jäeger asked after he slipped off his helmet.

"Funny," I giggled. I weakly reached up to rub his fuzzy cheeks and frowned when I saw my right arm was in a cast.

" _Baar'ur_ said you broke your wrist when you fell," Jäeger chuckled. He knelt beside the bed, a mournful look on his face. "You shouldn't be so clumsy, _ad'ika_."

I pouted and stuck my tongue out at him. "Meany." I frowned. "You weren't too mean to Katar, were you?"

"No." Jäeger sighed heavily as he ran his fingers through his hair. "May, why did you request to go out on patrol with me?"

"Because I feel so useless sitting around here all day. Katar doesn't need me relaying orders; you'd follow them anyway, no matter who told you. It's just how you are," I muttered.

"May, you're not useless," Jäeger said softly. He took my uninjured hand in his, running his thumb over the knuckles. "Even if it feels like busy work, what you do at the base is important." He leaned in. "Between you and me, hearing you give the orders is much more pleasurable than hearing Katar."

I blushed. "I don't know if I'm high enough for this." Jäeger chuckled and a rare smile fleeted across his face. Not that usual cocky half-smirk he'd always give, but a full smile. It made him look so much younger, less grim.

"Mind if I take a look?" He asked politely, indicating my side. I blushed a little more but didn't object. Gingerly, Jäeger lifted the edge of my hospital gown and revealed a large bandage that was wrapped around my side.

"Looks like the _baar'ur_ patched you up nicely," he muttered. He put my gown back in its original position. He released a deep breath before releasing my hand and sitting against the wall. A heavy silence filled the air. I closed my eyes and just listened to the beeping of the machine and Jäeger's steady breathing for a while.

"Jäeger… could you train me?" I asked hesitantly.

"No," was the immediate and flat response.

"Why not?"

"You don't have the mentality to be a soldier. I could feel you out there. You were like a scared rabbit jumping at your own shadow."

"Please, I don't have to fight on the front line! I don't want to! I just want to be able to protect myself," I pleaded.

"That's why you have me. May, please, don't ask this of me."

I sighed and conceded defeat for the moment.

* * *

I groaned as I raised my arms above my head to pull on a shirt. It was a simple blue low-cut v-neck that one of the nurses had provided me. I was busy teasing my hair out and getting it to lie flat when Katar walked in.

"Miss Clearwater," Katar said calmly.

"Katar." He looked uneasy as if going over something before he said it. I felt a knot form in my stomach.

"After the incident two days ago, and Jäeger's own input, I feel it would be better if you were to find yourself a home on Coruscant; a new life with a safer job choice," Katar stated choosing his words carefully.

"Jäeger told you he wanted me gone?" I could feel my heart breaking.

"No, nothing like that." Katar held his hands up in a placating gesture. "He simply brought it to my attention that you're not happy with the desk work but how unsuited you are for the field. He also mentioned your request for training."

"I want to help. I don't want to be a burden."

"I am aware, but miss, I have to agree with Jäeger. You simply don't have the constitution for this line of work."

"Please don't make me leave! I have nowhere else to go!" Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes. "I want to stay here. I want to be with Jäeger."

Katar sighed. "Fine. If I can't dissuade you, then I can at least point you in the right direction." He reached behind his back and pulled out a small pistol similar to the one Jäeger carried on occasion. It came with a holster. "This is a DL-21. It's a smaller pistol but it packs a punch. There's not much kick to it so it seemed a good starting pistol for you. Talk to the quartermaster for more details and please log some range time. I want you proficient with this."

He handed me the pistol and holster and then left in a controlled hurry. I glanced down at the sidearm, that knot of worry tightening, before putting on the holster belt, the weight of the DL sitting on my left hip.


	10. Archangel Pt 1

"Knight Katar: preliminary report," Master Chratis ordered. Katar stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back.

"Operations on Alderaan were successful. Relations between the Republic and House Organa have been secured and we managed to bring several more houses into the fold," Katar explained.

"I expect a full mission report in three days," Master Chratis stated. Katar nodded before returning to his seat. Chratis then turned his attention to me. "The Council has a new project for you Mandalorian." Chratis picked up a remote and flicked on a holoscreen on the back wall of the meeting room. The screen flickered for a few seconds before an image of two upward extended wings bordered on the bottom by a half-circle of stars appeared.

"Project Archangel is a joint operation between the Republic Air Force and the Guardian Order. Initiated a few years before the end of the war, Project Archangel was designed to give us an edge in the war. Unfortunately, the project has been experiencing setbacks and accidents recently and now the Defense Council is questioning the validity of the project. If we don't get the project back on track soon the council will terminate," Chratis explained.

"We need you to head to the project site, act as overseer, and get the project back on track. In this Cold War against the Sith Empire, we need every advantage we can get."

"What exactly is Project Archangel?" I inquired. I glanced down as a very fat dossier was slid my way by Master Oromis. I opened it and glanced over it quickly. "Mechs? Project Archangel is about developing piloted mechs?"

"Walkers and robots are great but these mechanized suits will allow our soldiers to eliminate enemy armor more efficiently, work in more hazardous environments, and missions of a more destructive nature can be carried out with greater ease," Master Elveric stated. Chratis flicked a few slides on the holoscreen that showed brief glimpses of blueprints and schematics for various mechs and what appeared to be armor suits.

"I see." I closed the dossier. "I don't see where I come in. You said you wanted me to oversee the project. I'm a highly-trained warrior, not a mechanic or administrator. Surely you have others who are better suited for this task," I argued.

"I have to agree with Jäeger on this one," Katar stated folding his arms over his chest. "The man's a great field agent; he's not someone you stick behind a desk."

Master Elveric smirked before sliding four more dossiers our way. I recognized them as personnel files.

"Blair, Ydril, Torch, Sanders," I muttered. Some of the names I knew; Blair was clearly Mitch, Torch was a mechanic in the Air Force that had helped with some maintenance on the _Valiant_. The man knew his way around a hyperdrive.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Your crew," Master Chratis stated plainly.

"Okay then. What are my mission specifications? What do you expect me to do here?" I asked annoyance entering my voice.

Brom smiled with infinite patience. "Project Archangel was the brainchild of one Cad Friez, an Air Force Mechanic with a knack for robotics, and footed by Colonel Fesov from the Air Force. Friez designed the mechs and started the construction process. However, shortly after the project was initiated, Second Lieutenant Friez was medically discharged due to a mental breakdown.

"Colonel Fesov has since taken over project management and subsequently caused the cost of the project has skyrocketed. Construction has ground to a halt and morale is tanking amongst the engineers. Our pilot candidates are becoming restless and we'll lose them soon if we don't get the project underway." Chratis showed a slide that showed the discrepancy in spending between the initiation of the project and then after Fesov took over.

"In all honesty, the project is in complete disarray," Chratis admitted with a heavy sigh. "But too much rides on this for us to scrap the project."

"We need you to get the project back on budget, train our pilots, and get them combat-ready within three years," Oromis stated.

"What do you mean train the pilots?" Katar asked.

"We planned on waiting for the mechs to reach their final stages in development before we were going to bring in the recruits to train them. They're all Force-sensitives who showed the skills necessary for the project," Chratis explained.

"Additionally, we need you to bring former Second Lieutenant Friez back on. The technicians have been running into difficulties with the mechs, armor suits, and a top-secret prototype that only the good engineer seems to have the knowledge to fix," Brom stated.

"Fine. I have one question," I stated as I gathered the dossiers and handed them to Katar to stash in his briefcase.

"What?" Chratis asked.

"Can I bring a civilian in on this?"

"Are you out of your ever-loving mind?" Chratis roared standing up so fast he knocked over his chair. "Do you have any idea how classified and important this project is? And you want to jeopardize it by bringing on an un-vetted civilian?"

"One of the Ruusani I saved won't leave my side. I can bring her on as a personal assistant if nothing else," I explained nonchalantly. Chratis glared at Katar for elaboration.

"Knight Jäeger was forced to protect a young Ruusani woman during his time on the _Bloody Hawk_ as part of his mission. She refused to leave his side; trust me I've tried. Something happened during her time aboard that traumatized her and Jäeger seems to be acting as her coping mechanism right now. An anchor if you will," Katar explained. "I can vouch for her discretion, though. She's not a security risk."

"If she becomes one, I want your personal guarantee that you will take care of her, Mandalorian," Chratis snarled.

"If she tries to run to one of our enemies, I will personally put a laser through her head," I stated evenly.

"Good." Chratis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even though it's unorthodox, you can bring the girl on. Do you have her with you?"

"Right outside the door?" I pointed with my thumb over my shoulder. Chratis sighed as he rested his face in his hand.

"Bring her in."

"Katar got up and opened the door. May poked her head in and Katar gestured for her to enter. May walked in slowly, apprehension exuding from her Presence. She stood behind me fidgeting with the edge of her suit top.

"What's your name girl?" Chratis asked barely containing the annoyance in his voice.

"May, sir. May of the Clearwater Tribe on Ruusan. Or what is left of it," May stated in a slightly muttered, barely audible voice.

"Ms. Clearwater, it is to my understanding that you have become something of a traveling companion for Knight Jäeger," Chratis stated. I could tell it pained him to use my actual title. "Is this correct?"

"Yes, sir. Jäeger seems to go to lots of exciting new places. I want to explore the galaxy and see new things. Traveling with him seemed the best option. He can keep me safe," May explained.

"Do you understand that Knight Jäeger is an active Republic asset and is regularly involved in highly confidential, top-secret, military operations that our enemies cannot under any circumstances be made aware of?" Chratis growled. "He is _not_ your travel agent!"

May shied away and hugged herself tightly. I glared at Chratis and started to rise out of my chair. May found her voice before I could kill Chratis. "Yes sir, I am well aware of that fact. I won't breath a word of anything he does." She spoke with surprising conviction.

"Jäeger has been assigned a new mission that is of the highest priority," Brom stated softly. "Knight Katar can read you in later, but you must understand that if you breathe a word of it to anyone, even in passing, you forfeit any rights and will be executed as a traitor."

May gulped. "I would never betray Jäeger!"

"I believe the girl," Oromis chuckled.

"You will assist Knight Jäeger however he asks. You will report directly to him or Knight Katar. Am I understood?" Chratis stated. May nodded. "Then we are done here. You have one week to recover and prepare for your next assignment. I expect you on project site within two weeks. Meaning you have one week to find Cad and bring him back on. The rest of your team will meet you at the _Crimson Blade_ 's loading dock. Knight Blair has also given his consent to have you rest at his place."

"Chratis shut down the holoscreen before he and the other Masters left the meeting room. I stretched before May could attach herself at the hip to me, her fingers slipping into my belt.

"That old guy with the scars scares me," May whispered. I smirked and wrapped my arm around her.

"Don't let Master Chratis get to you. He's gotten irritable in his old age," I joked.

"I'd like to go over these files, so the sooner we can get to Knight Blair's place the better," Katar stated snapping his briefcase shut. I nodded and we headed back to my ship.

* * *

Knight Blair's home was a large two-story apartment in a residential district a few skylanes over from the Corellian Quarter. It was rather extravagant for a man on a military salary with a large fully stocked kitchen, a dining room with a hardwood table large enough for six, a large living room with a window overlooking the Coruscanti skyline and an impressive entertainment system, three guest bedrooms and two master bedrooms plus freshers, and two additional freshers. The bedrooms took up the second floor, access gained via a spiral staircase off the kitchen. Tasteful Alderaani and Corellian art covered the walls adding some color to the mundane cream walls.

But don't let the mundane civilian décor fool you. The main door was a three-inch blastdoor prettied up to look like an old oak door that could be completely sealed by a dozen bolts. A series of biometric scans and a five-digit code allowed entrance. Inside the walls were reinforced to withstand most explosions and windows were blasterproof.

"Damn the boy lives well," Katar whistled. "I need to ask for a pay raise."

"Good luck with that," I chuckled as I raided Mitch's bar counter for a battle of _tihaar_. Mitch wasn't home at the moment but I had the access code to his apartment and my biometrics were keyed into his security access. "Mitch probably only gets paid a few hundred more than you but Circe lives with him and helped pitch in for the rent and renovations. Doesn't hurt that he got some kickbacks from the Council to develop this place into a safe house."

"Renovations?" May asked as she sat down on the large tan couch.

"This place could withstand most raids. It would take a small star cruiser to take this place out," I smirked. "Mitch can be a little paranoid at times but as I said this place can double as a fallback shelter in cases of emergency. As far as safe houses go, this place is the Ritz. Ah, there you are!" I pulled out a bottle of my favorite colorless drink and poured a shot. Katar headed into the dining room and set up shop to begin going over the dossiers the Masters had given us. That project of theirs must have been something really special because the dossiers had been given in the form of flimsy instead of datafiles.

I plopped myself down in an armchair across from Mitch's seventy-two-inch holoscreen and turned on the news. Nothing too exciting was happening in the galaxy; the usual civil wars and unrest that follows after a massive war. Wars were raging on Balmorra, Alderaan, and Ord Mantell. Rumors of small skirmishes on the edges of territories, dogfights along hyperspace lanes, supply lines being attacked.

"Can you turn it off?" May whispered. I lowered the volume and glanced towards her.

"What's wrong?" I inquired.

"I don't want to hear about it," May said gesturing towards the holo. I nodded and changed the channel to some nature documentary about the grassland wildlife on Earth of all places. May seemed to perk up watching the buffalo wander across the Kalahari. I offhandedly tossed her the remote and went to retrieve my kit from by the door where I had dropped it.

Shrugging it over my shoulder, I headed to the second master bedroom and tossed my kit on the king-sized bed. I unzipped my kit bag and started pulling out civvie clothes, my MA5, a DC-17, a DL-21, a couple ammo packs, and my _beskar'gam_. I tossed the bag in the corner before placing the DC-17 next to the door, my MA5 on the floor next to the bed, and slipping my DL-21 under my pillow. I stacked my _beskar'gam_ at the foot of my bed before changing out of my Guardian uniform and into black slacks and a long-sleeved shirt.

I returned to the kitchen and poured myself another drink. May was glued to the holoscreen watching a pride of lions. I just shook my head and headed to my room bored and looking for something to do. I absentmindedly picked up a piece of my _beskar'gam_ and frowned at how badly the paint had been ruined. While the armor underneath was still decent, it could use a touch-up. Unfortunately, I didn't have the material necessary to fix it. Picking up my left vambrace and helmet, I dug out my toolkit from my field pouch before returning to the kitchen. I sat down and started tinkering, adjusting small wires and tightened a few that had become loose.

"Whatcha doing? "May chirped as she stood at the end of the table.

"Maintenance," I muttered.

"Oh," May said a little put out by my dismissive tone. She pouted a little before going back to her program. I finished my tinkering before putting my helmet on and running through my series of filters. They checked out so I removed my helmet and finished my drink.

"Hey, what's for dinner?" Katar cried from the dining room.

"What do you want?" I inquired.

"Whatever!"

I nodded and headed towards the kitchen. May, however, passed me on the way to the kitchen. She gently placed her hand on my chest and smirked.

"I'll make dinner," she whispered.

"Yah sure?" I asked.

"Least I can do." She sauntered into the kitchen and immediately got to work. I shrugged and went to see how Katar was fairing. The man was neck-deep in dossiers. I picked up a random dossier and skimmed the file. It was the personnel report listing for the program; all the pilots were from the Guardian Order, I even recognized a few, but even through the pilots showed the aptitude for the program their Attunement levels were rather low. It would be interesting to train this bunch.

I frowned when I saw the attached psychological reports. Several had red-flags for sociopathic tendencies and a tendency for disobeying orders. A few even had criminal records; minor misdemeanors and offenses.

 _Fierfek_ I thought. _How did these bastards ever get accepted?_

"Katar have you seen these personnel reports?" I asked indicating them.

"Real nice pieces of work we've got to work with," Katar stated without looking up. "Most are good soldiers, but a few are going to give us grief."

"How were they even allowed to enlist? There are at least three dossiers here that have more red in them than they do black!"

"We were at war. They were allowed in because they were borderline cases. However, despite their more _disruptive_ qualities, I believe that Staff Sergeant Ydril and I can get them ready. That man is tougher than an old leather boot and hell, I've dealt with your stubborn ass," Katar stated. I scowled and tossed the dossier. Katar grabbed it, fixed the flimsy so it lined up, and then plopped it on top of the others. May popped her head in at that moment.

"Dinner's ready."

Katar closed the dossier and we followed after May to the kitchen. Three plates of nerf steak and steamed vegetables were sitting there waiting.

"I hope Mitch doesn't mind that I used some of his meat. Not that he didn't have much to spare," May said. I gave a small smirk at that. Mitch was known for having a well-stocked freezer full of meats.

"Looks delicious Ms. Clearwater. Thank you." Katar took his plate and a cold can of beer and returned to the dining room. May and I followed after him; Katar had moved the dossiers to a corner. We ate quietly; May having proved to be an excellent cook. She cleared the dishes afterward as Katar returned to his dossiers and I retired to my chambers.

* * *

A soft knocking on my door woke me. The constant light from outside poured through the blinds on my window to reveal May standing timidly in the doorframe. She was wearing simple cotton pajamas and her hair fell messily around her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately alert. She had a scared, worrisome look on her pretty face.

"I can't sleep," May muttered. "I keep seeing that man over and over." I nodded in understanding. It wasn't easy getting over your first kill. I gestured for her to come closer. She immediately scampered over to my bed and climbed in. She pulled the warm cotton sheets up to her chin, wrapping herself in their soft embrace.

"Does it ever do away? The sense of guilt? The nightmares?" May whispered.

"Mandalorians learn to bury it. Killing is part of what we do. The first time is always the hardest. It changes you, but eventually, you go numb to it," I explained. "The face that you do feel bad for what you did, deserving as Krillin was of it, just means you're still human."

May nodded and snuggled up close to me. I wrapped my arm around her as I lied back down.

"Does it ever bother you?" May's breath warmed my chest.

"I've killed so many people, May. Yet I have never given any of them thought except for a few," I breathed. May held the blanket closer and closed her eyes. "Sleep, _ad'ika_. I'll keep the nightmares away." May muttered incoherently as she started to fall back asleep. "I'll protect you like I promised."


	11. Archangel Pt 2

"Well, I see you've helped yourself to the food!" Circe slammed the fridge door after her vain attempt to find food. She stomped her foot and stood over me with her hands on her hips. I looked up from cleaning my MA5 and gave her a nonplussed look.

"What? You know I'm good for it," I stated. Circe frowned but didn't pursue further. Instead, she turned towards May who was curled up on the couch watching a sitcom.

"And who is this? "Circe waved at May.

"Someone I picked up. In the eyes of the Council, she is my assistant," I explained not looking up from my cleaning.

"May." She offered her hand to Circe. The Knight gave a light smile and took May's hand. The two shook before Circe plopped down in the seat next to May and relaxed.

"When is Mitch getting back?" I inquired.

"His ship comes in later tonight. Then it's a few days' shore leave for the crew as the ship refuels before we can ship back out," Circe explained. I grunted in acknowledgment. Katar walked in from the dining room just then, personnel dossiers in hand. He plopped them in front of me and I noticed they were for my additional help.

"I'd appreciate it if you actually looked over these files before tomorrow."

"Sure." I took some extra time cleaning the firing mechanism. Katar sighed and turned towards May. "Make sure he reads the files," Katar instructed her.

"I will." Her gaze never shifted from the holoscreen.

Katar threw his hands up in the air and left. I quickly reassembled my rifle and grabbed the top personnel file. Normally I got right to learning about my target and what my mission was, but I had decided to procrastinate on this one. Just cause I knew it would piss Katar off. The file I picked happened to be Cad Friez's.

I skimmed through it noting that Friez had been picked out early for having a way with tech. He got placed in Research and Development shortly after getting out of Basic and was set to work improving and upgrading weapon systems for the Air Force. His commanding officer at the time commented on several improvements Friez had made to the Talon fighters.

Shortly afterward the Second Lieutenant had gotten the idea for the Archangel prototypes. His designs caught the notice of Colonel Fesov, the current head of the project, and he pushed the idea to the higher-ups. Unfortunately, before the Defense Council greenlit the project the Ord Mantellian base Friez was stationed at got attacked. He saw all his friends and allies die in the attack.

I frowned as I looked over the attached medical report. Friez's doctors strongly suggested discharging the staff sergeant on account for signs of severe PTSD. It looked like the paperwork had almost gone through, but something or someone kept Friez in the Air Force. Project Archangel was approved shortly afterward and Second Lieutenant Friez began work on improved designs for the mechs. Apparently, that stress was enough and someone caught wind of Friez's condition because Friez was approved for medical discharge just over a year ago.

I snapped the file shut and rubbed my eyes. I had a bad feeling about bring the staff sergeant back into the fold. The man had been through enough. I bit down on the feeling. Orders were orders. You followed them. Even when they stank to high heaven.

The other files detailed a highly skilled woman from Logistics, an old drill sergeant with a laundry list of campaigns and decorations, another technician from Air Force R&D, and Guardian Knight Blair. May came over as I allowed the last dossier to fall to the table.

"Anything good?" she asked benignly.

"Not really." I stretched my neck, it stiff from being bent forward all day. May immediately came behind me, something that set me on edge, but I allowed her to place her hands on my neck and knead the muscles. I groaned as she pressed hard and deep into the sore tissue.

"Ah, someone's a little rough," I gasped. May immediately let up and rubbed soft circles at the base of my neck. "No, it's okay. I just didn't expect you to be so strong."

"I worked on a farm. I had to be," May whispered as she pressed a little harder. "Mother always liked it a little rough so I kind of got the habit from her. Need to press hard to deep tissue." I closed my eyes and moaned softly as May worked the tension out of my neck; tension I didn't even realize I had.

"What is going on here?"

I lazily opened one eye to see Mitch standing in the middle of his apartment. A look of disapproval and annoyance covered his face but his Force Presence told another story. May blushed and immediately drew away from me.

"Well?" Mitch demanded.

"Like it's the first time I have brought back a random woman to your house," I scoffed. Mitch smirked at that before pulling me to my feet. He grabbed me in a hug, slapping me on the back before letting go.

"How was the flight?" I inquired.

"Uneventful," Mitch sighed. I chuckled before gesturing for him to follow me into the dining room. I selected the dossier outlining the project, one I actually had read and handed it to him. "Need you to read this before we ship out. The plan is to leave by sixteen-hundred the day after your ship finishes refueling."

"I'll let the crew know," Mitch muttered already skimming the file. I started for the door before a thought occurred to me. "Do you know what's happening with Omega Squad?"

"Reassigned. They're heading to Ord Mantell with Kal to help deal with the insurrections," Mitch explained.

I grunted. "Seems like a waste of their talents."

"Not our decision. Why do you ask?"

"Figure they could help train the pilots in special operations," I explained. Mitch nodded before sitting down to read the dossier. I left the dining room and walked right into May. She had a bit of a hurt look on her face.

"Am I just another pretty face for you?" May murmured. She held herself tightly as if trying to hold herself together. I opened my mouth several times before sighing.

"Ignore Mitch. He teases and can be unintentionally harsh at times," I said in a placating tone. I swallowed before continuing. "I don't know how I feel about you yet, May. I'm a soldier. It's all I've ever known. The Force put us together for a reason, whatever it may be, so I am going to handle it like I always do. Eyes up and ready for anything."

May nodded before turning to disappear into the rest of the apartment.

"Hey May?" She turned around with misty eyes. "You're not just another pretty face." She gave a soft smile and left.

* * *

I fidgeted in my uniform as Jäeger paced back and forth on the hanger deck of the _Crimson Blade_. It was the base blue uniform worn by Republic soldiers but mine lacked any sign of rank or affiliation. Jäeger thought if I was going to play the part of a military assistant I should dress the part. Katar agreed, adding that it would make it less like for security to stop me.

I checked my chrono and frowned. It was almost four p.m. and we were still missing the rest of the team. The crew of Knight Blair's frigate was all ready to leave but Master Sergeant Ydril, Second Lieutenant Torch, and Second Lieutenant Sanders had yet to arrive.

"Dammit, don't these people have any sense of time?" Jäeger growled. He was in his formal Guardian garb and I had to admit he looked more approachable in it. Even though he still had that cold menacing look in his eyes, he didn't exude that aura of instant death like he did in his Mandalorian armor.

The commlink that Blair had given me chirped suddenly causing me to jump. I fumbled for it in my satchel before putting it to my ear to answer.

"Yes?"

"Knight Blair is getting a little antsy up here. Are we clear to launch?" Lt. Avery asked.

"He's not the only one," I whispered. Then more clearly, I said, "No. We are still missing the other three. I think Knight Jäeger is about ready to go looking for them."

"I will tell Knight Blair that we still aren't clear to launch," Avery sighed.

"I will let you know when we are ready," I stated. I closed the commlink and put it back in my satchel. Jäeger stiffened and looked out towards the docking ring that connected us to the orbital station. Walking towards the ship at a brisk pace was a tall, willowy blonde. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun through a few bangs had come loose to frame her slender face. She held a briefcase tightly in one hand and she wore a grey uniform, her cap pulled low over her steely grey eyes.

She stopped before Jäeger and snapped off a crisp salute. "Second Lieutenant Sanders reporting for duty."

"You're late," Jäeger growled. A very confused look came over the second lieutenant's face.

"Sir?"

"This ship leaves in five minutes. I had very much hoped that you and the rest of the team would have gotten here a little bit earlier," Jäeger growled.

"Sir, I was ordered to be here at sixteen-hundred so that we could depart," Sanders stated confused. "Thus, I arrived at sixteen-hundred."

"Jäeger sighed and gestured towards me. I stiffened before coming over, heels clicking on the metal deck.

"Ms. Clearwater." I offered my hand. "Knight Jäeger's personal assistant." 2nd Lt. Sanders briskly shook my hand before asking, "What branch do you serve in?"

"Oh, I'm not enlisted," I replied. Immediately Sanders' eyes turned cold. My smile lost some of its cheeriness before I pulled a secured dossier out of my satchel and handed it to Sanders. "This contains all the financial data and other pertinent data from Project Archangel. Knight Jäeger would like you to review it and prepare a preliminary report for when we arrive at Installation 17."

Sanders turned to Jäeger. "I will see to it and have my report promptly on your desk by the end of the week." She saluted again before disappearing into the bowels of the _Crimson Blade._

 _One down, two to go_ I thought. I fixed my hair as two men came towards the ship. One was a red-skinned Twi'lek and the other a stout older man with a limp. The Twi'lek was lanky but toned and I could tell he had sharp-pointed teeth as he drew near. The man was bald with weathered features. Both were wearing military garb similar to 2nd Lt. Sanders, both displaying their proper ranks.

"Torch and Master Sergeant Ydril reporting for duty," MSgt Ydril growled. The two snapped off salutes. "Sorry for being late. This moron decided to get wasted last night and I've only just been able to get him presentable." The red Twi'lek, Torch, grinned lopsided, his pointed teeth flashing and lekku twitching.

"Just get on the ship," Jäeger moaned. The two nodded, saluted, and briskly made their way into the _Crimson Blade_.

"Lt. Avery, we have the rest of our party," I stated into my commlink.

"Understood." I could hear the relief in her voice. "We are on our way to the bridge." Jäeger gestured for me to follow him deeper into the ship as the force field protecting the hanger activated and the docking ring disengaged. I felt the subtle hum of the engines under my feet as the _Crimson Blade_ moved through space. Jäeger moved with purpose as he headed for the bridge. I struggled to keep up with my heels. Just as we reach the turbolift for the bridge, I tripped on a slight edge of the deck.

Jäeger moved with unnatural speed.

He caught me as I fell, my body colliding with the hard plates of his chest and arms. I blushed as Jäeger helped me back up and into the turbolift. With a look of annoyance, I yanked off my shoes and held them. The cold metal of the deck felt good on my sore feet though my black stockings.

The turbolift stopped at the bridge and we went to join Knight Blair and the others. Blair raised an eyebrow at my "bare" feet but didn't comment. The bridge was a nest of activity as crew members moved about their duties making sure the ship functioned properly.

"Set course for Duro," Blair ordered softly to his navigation officer Lieutenant Rose. The beautiful brunette set the coordinates before nodding to her commanding officer. "All engines ahead full; make the jump to hyperspace."

The hum of the ship picked up pitch before the stars turned to lines of light in the viewscreens. Mitch sighed and turned back to Jäeger and me.

"Now that we are underway shall we properly greet our guests?" Blair asked with a tired look on his face. I noticed Jäeger and him had some of the same idiosyncrasies; one of which was that they were always a little tired, weary. Knight Blair paused long enough for me to put my shoes back on before he led us down the corridor to a meeting room where the others were gathered. An ensign was standing guard at the door. Blair dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She saluted and departed.

"So, which one of you want to tell us what is going on?" Ydril asked in his gravelly tones.

"You have been recruited to help deal with a joint research and development project between the Air Force and Guardian Order that has gone off the rails. You have been asked to help because of your skills within your select fields." Jäeger gestured for me. I stepped forward and pulled out another thick flimsi dossier. "This contains all the technical data for Project Archangel. I want you to review it and become familiar with it. Confer with Knight Blair because you two will be working rather closely."

Torch took the file and immediately started perusing the files. His eyes widened as he looked over it and he flashed a toothy grin.

"This project is highly classified. Breathe a word of this to anyone and I will deal with you personally." Jäeger paused to let the gravity of that threat sink in. I couldn't help but feel a little smug when I saw 2nd Lt. Sanders shift a little uncomfortably. Serves her right for being so cold. "You all report to me now," Jäeger continued tersely. "We are going to get this project back on track and give the Republic another edge in this war against the Empire."

"The war's over," Sanders stated confused.

"The war is never over. It's just on pause."

With that Jäeger turned and left. I bit my lip. He had been in a bit of a mood all day. I had tried to ask him what was wrong but he wasn't willing to tell me. Maybe he just got up on the wrong side of the bed.

"Sorry about him," Knight Blair stated. "I am Knight Mitch Blair and as the chain of command goes, I am next in line. I will fill you in on the gaps Lieutenant Jaeger left. Project Archangel is floundering and you have been asked to help get it back on course."

I slipped out at that point, leaving the additional flimsi portfolios for Knight Blair to distribute. I slipped past the ensign before going to track down Jäeger. He was in his room doing pull-ups on the doorframe.

"Hey," I whispered brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. Veins stood out in high relief along Jäeger's neck as he breathed in slowly and pulled himself up so his head disappeared above the doorframe. He breathed out as he held himself just below the door. With a sudden roar that made me jump, Jäeger dropped from the doorframe landing in a crouch.

"You wanna talk about it?" I asked leaning against the doorframe.

"Look I just woke up prissy," Jäeger said. It happens." I nodded and turned to leave. "Wait." I poked my head back in. "My younger brother just had a kid. Family means a lot to _Mando'ade_ and I'm just a little upset that I couldn't be there to meet my niece."

"Oh," I whispered. "So, the big scary mercenary has a heart." I gave a squeak of surprise as Jäeger got in my face.

"Legacy, family, heirs mean a lot of _Mando'ade_. When nations, entire governments, toss you aside the moment your usefulness is over, family becomes the only thing you can count on. So yeah, I do have a heart when I comes to family."

"I'm sorry."

Jäeger sighed and back away. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just in a right mood and I have no idea why. Just going to be one of those days."

I nodded and headed to the mess hall. Crew members were starting to file in to prep the food for supper at seventeen hundred hours. I grabbed the attention of the nearest cook.

"Yes?" He asked.

"is there anything sweet I could bring Knight Jäeger? I think he needs a bit of a pick me up," I explained softly. The cook nodded and reached into the fridge. He pulled out a slice of amber cake covered in nuts and dried fruit.

"Knight Blair had us stock up on this before we left. It's a delicacy from Mandalore that Knight Jäeger and he have acquired a taste for. It's uj cake. It should help lift Knight Jäeger's spirits."

"Thanks." I took the cake and headed back to Jäeger's room. I knocked softly on his closed door. It opened to reveal Jäeger was still reclining on the bed. I silently offered up the uj cake. Jäeger smirked and sat up.

"Thought we could celebrate your niece's birth," I smiled. Jäeger pulled a knife out from under his pillow, a rather large knife, and used it to cut the cake in half. He took the larger half and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. I giggled at the display of puffed out cheeks, it made him look much younger, took the edge off him. I picked up the sticky slice of cake and took a bit. It was unbelievably sweet with a bit of spice and the nuts added an additional layer of crunchiness to the dense cake.

"Thanks. That actually helped," Jäeger smiled. He smirked before licking the blade of his knife clean. He wiped it on the bedsheet before sheathing the blade. He started to remove his armor. I couldn't help but admire the way he moved. He was methodical and graceful, slowly removing his vambraces before setting them on the edge of his bed.

"Tell me about yourself," Jäeger stated suddenly. I started at the question; my mind going blank. I opened and closed my mouth a few times in confusion. Jäeger smirked as he took off his greaves and boots. "I've stuck her speechless." I frowned and popped him on the shoulder. He feigned pain and smirked at me. I smiled at his playfulness, a side I didn't think he had.

"Well, as you know, I grew up on Nar Shaddaa before moving to Ruusan. When I wasn't busy in the shop helping Daddy, I did a lot of reading. Books have always held a fascination for me," I stated sitting on beside him on the bed.

"Any favorites?"

"A few, but I've read so many that they kind of blend together. But I particularly enjoy the books that entail fantasy worlds: things like knights in shiny armor coming to save the princess, magic, and supernatural." I blushed at the look Jäeger was giving me. "What?"

"Nothing; your innocence is actually refreshing." He smirked as he stacked his boots next to his vambraces. I pursed my lips at his offhanded comment but let it slide.

"How long have you been doing this?" I asked.

"Since I was seven."

I stared in shock at Jäeger. I couldn't imagine him in little armor running around a battlefield, death surrounding him all around.

"How could someone subject a little kid to this life?" I asked aghast. Jäeger smirked as he took off his chestplate. The shirt underneath had struck to his chest and hinted at his defined muscles.

"They didn't just shove a blaster in my hand and point me towards the target," Jäeger chuckled. "Well, they did, but it was at home. In the warmth and protection of my family. _Mando'ade_ start training around age eight. Our parents teach us how to fight, what it means to be _Mando'ade_ , how to protect ourselves before they actually take us out on jobs. It is a harsh lifestyle but it makes us strong."

I just shook my head.

"The galaxy is a big scary place. I've just been trained to be the scariest." Jäeger wrapped his Knight armor in a soft cloth before placing it in his footlocker. He removed his shirt and ran a hand through his hair. I'm turning in for the night. Wake me up when we reach Duro."

* * *

The floating cities of Duro were busy with morning traffic. Pedestrians were hurrying to and from their jobs. There was a continual stream of shuttles to and from the shipyards above Duro. I hailed a cab to take us to Mr. Friez's residence. I held the door open for May who slipped in with a suitcase. She adjusted her bun, teasing a few strands back into place as I slipped in beside her.

"2087 Drexel Street," I told the cab driver. He nodded and then slipped back into traffic. The Duros driver ducked in and out of traffic barely missing a few other vehicles by mere inches. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw May gripping the door and seat tightly.

"Slow down!" She cried at the driver. "Look out for that truck!" I let the barest of smirks grace my lips as the driver pulled the cab into a steep climb. The driver spun the cab around one-hundred and eighty degrees slapping it against the curb. May got out and screamed, "You should have your license pulled! Never have I ever been so afraid for my life!" She shrieked in exasperation and stormed off towards the apartment building.

"Ignore her." I handed the Duros a few extra credits and followed after May.

"Next time you drive!" May snapped at me. I held my hands up in a placating gesture.

"Now, can you remind me where Mr. Friez lives?" I asked calmly.

"Apartment 22F," May stated as she took a few deep breaths and fixed her hair again. I nodded and headed towards the elevator. I pressed the button for the 22nd floor and the elevator shot upward. It slowed drastically as it reached the 22nd floor, beeping as it reached a stop. The doors slid open with a soft hiss. I led the way out and started to look for the correct apartment.

"Here we are," I whispered as I found Apartment 22F. I knocked on the door with the back of my knuckles giving it a quick rap. The door was soon opened by a thin Duros female with a slight bulge showing. She looked pale and worn out.

"Yes? Can I help you Knight?" she asked, her voice raspy for a Duros.

"We're looking for Mr. Cad Friez. Is this his residence?" I inquired.

"Oh, yes." The female looked away. "But I'm afraid my husband isn't home. He was asked to pull some late hours at the shop."

"May we come in and wait for Mr. Friez to come home?" I asked hopefully without sounding too intrusive. I was really making an effort to be polite here.

"Sure. I'll make you some caf." Mrs. Friez opened the door wider and admitted May and me into her living room. It was a cozy four-room apartment that had a very lived in feeling to it. A small pile of dirty dishes sat next to the sink in the kitchen. A holoscreen was muted and showing the local news. A master bedroom, guest room, and fresher were down a small hallway. A large window in the living room gave a view of the Duro skyline.

Mrs. Friez walked into the kitchen to put on a cup of caf. The caf maker was soon percolating and Mrs. Friez joined us in the living room. She and May occupied the small couch opposite the holoscreen while I occupied the armchair.

"When do you expect your husband to get home? "I asked again. Mrs. Friez checked the wall chrono before saying, "Next twenty minutes maybe."

I nodded and leaned back. We sat in an awkward silence while we waited for Cad Friez to return home. May engaged Mrs. Friez in some light conversation, but I tuned it out, meditating in the Force instead. The caf beeped just as the door opened again.

"Honey, I'm home," a weary male Duros stated as he entered the apartment. He stopped short of when he saw May and I sitting in his living room. "Knight." What does the Order what with me?"

"I'm sure you remember a little joint project known as Archangel," I stated.

Cad bristled. "I was medically discharged. PTSD. My duty to the military is over. I have a family to take care of."

"Project Archangel is experiencing hiccups that only you can fix. The Council is requesting that you return to the project in a highly-controlled environment. You will be given plenty of helpers to lighten your workload. It is nothing more than a consultation job really. We simply need your opinion and insight on the machines that you helped create," I explained.

"You want my opinion Knight? The Order can shove it. I'm not going back!"

"I can file for you to be reinstated; force you to come back," I growled. "I am under orders to bring you back into the fold and will do anything to follow those orders."

"You can't. I was medically discharged; deemed unfit to serve," Cad sneered. "Besides I can't leave. My wife is pregnant with our first child and has no job. Even with the money from the military, I can't leave her by herself."

"We have state of the art medical facilities at Installation 17. Your wife will receive the best medical care possible," I countered, standing. "You will be made lead consultant. A cushy civilian job; nothing more."

Cad sighed and poured himself a cup of caf before downing a large portion of it. "I see you won't stand down on this."

"We are preparing for the next stage of this war, second lieutenant. We already have reports of Imperial spies infiltrating Republic projects, sabotaging and stealing our weapons. There may not be any outright fighting but we are still at war. When the real fighting starts again in earnest, whoever has the best toys is going to be the one who wins," I argued.

"I am well aware of how a Cold War works, Knight," Cad growled.

"Will you come back willingly or do I have to sign those papers?" I inquired. Cad sighed heavily. "You don't have to be so heavy-handed; I'll come. Mara, pack your bags." Mrs. Friez nodded and May went to help her pack.


End file.
